LOOK!
- frida@artyardbklyn.org
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
We have been very busy organizing, and installing our exhibition Resized at The Gallery at 180 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn. At the same time, Advanced Studio and ART YARD Art Matters in the School programs are up to the usual good stuff!
Let’s start with a sneak peak of Resized, an exhibition of AYB Artists and students from PS 6 exploring the concept of scale. Ed, Candy, Vee and I installed, with help from Danilo Gomez at 180 Franklin Avenue.
The exhibition opens tomorrow, Saturday May 16, 6-8pm.
The event is free and open to all!!
In Advanced Studio on zoom this week with AYB Artist Adji Ngathe Kebe, participants created mosaic installations inspired by the artwork of Marcel Dzama.
Adji reflects on the session: “Just off the L train at Bedford Avenue sits No Less Than Everything Comes Together by Marcel Dzama — four mosaic panels exploring the relationship between the moon and the sun. The work feels energetic, enigmatic, and highly dramatic, bringing a sense of whimsy to the everyday commute.
I was especially drawn to the narrative qualities within the pieces, which inspired this class. During Monday’s Zoom session, each artist responded by creating mosaic works centered around a story they wanted to tell. The artwork that emerged was thoughtful, expressive, and deeply moving.”
Vee’s drawn depiction of the Hansel and Gretel story, Ed’s collaged cornfields pop with color.
Karla writes: "The multiple related narrative mosaics on the subway station walls inspired me to work across two separated sheets of black paper. 3/8” white foam elements which were negative saves of a former cutting, are employed as mosaic tiles creating intentionally shaped geometric areas. I free-form cut the white cardstock figures to gesture and echo the energy I felt from the lesson images. The red directional elements create additional movement at the mid level of the picture plane.
Karla compliments: The lesson images were really striking and add so much to everyday lives as people commute in the city hustle and bustle!
Flo’s piece is outstanding! I find I do not want to stop looking and searching. Such a powerful and personal narrative! The manner in which color is applied seems all-inclusive of life’s experiences.
Aaron worked in delicate pencil to depict a fresh perspective on movement.
Meridith worked to depict painted mosaic as she continued her cut-paper Pompeii inspired doves.
Travis, Sudan, Adji and Flo all referenced deeply personal emotional and familial situations. Their descriptions during critique were very moving.
Mosaic Narrative works by Travis Pereira, Adji Ngathe Kebe, Sudan Green, and Florian Kiniffo-Neven du Mont (ll)
In the second of two consecutive Advanced Studio in-person sessions with AYB Artists Jazz Guillet and Meridith McNeal, participants completed painted-paper self-portrait figurines inspired by the sculptural work of John Darcy Noble, curator of toys at the Museum of the City of New York.
Jazz reflects: “In this session, we focused on finishing our mini-me sculptures, and some of our more prolific artists even created second and third versions of themselves. One of the most exciting aspects of the workshop was the variety of interpretations, including figures that weren’t strictly human.
Juliet experimented with rich textures and fabrics, leaning further into the Opera Turandot inspiration we discussed the week before.
Juliet Adams, Self Portrait Figurine (front and back)
Aaron recreated himself as Dr. Manhattan, explaining, ‘I identify with his contemplative nature and the way he observes the world.’
Dylan and Vee explored inventive forms that presented themselves in entirely new ways.
Dylan Gomez (l & ll), Vee Tineo, Self Portrait Figurine
Sebastian and Evelyn incorporated detailed backgrounds to set the scene for their audience, offering an even clearer glimpse into their passions of music and teaching art.
Sebastian LaBossiere and Evelyn Beliveau, Self Portrait Figurines
Briana and Jacob used eye-catching patterns and colors that immediately draw viewers in.
Briana Camacho and Jacob Rath, Self Portrait Figurine
Amily, Christian, Richie, and Kevin each included props that highlighted personal details and interests.
Amily Gonzalez, Christian Stanley, Richard Lee Chong, Kevin Anderson, Self Portrait Figurines
Ariel glamorized her mini-me with an earring repurposed as a purse and a silver dance floor that practically begged to be used.
Maria created striking textures not only in her golden aura, and oil-pastel sweater, but also in a funkadelic-inspired base.
We had so much fun embellishing, experimenting, and creating versions of ourselves using everyday objects.”
AYB Managing Director Dennis Buonagura reports: “Another fast paced day at our partnership school, PS 17, in Jersey City. The 7th graders were still sitting state-wide exams but the 1st, 2nd, and 4th graders kept us on our toes. I took some time before the students arrived to class to check our gallery in the library (needing to de-install the last show's work) but testing was going on there so I wasn't permitted to enter.
Teaching artist Christopher Allen (substituting for Evelyn this week) led the 4th graders in completing the papier mâché portion of their Goldfinch: The State Bird of NJ project.
If anyone ever questions "what does prep work mean?", they should have been at PS 17 on Wednesday morning.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE, for certain! I arrived early and started tearing up newsprint paper (it comes in great big sheets) and mixing the glue and water. Chris, Nick Tardiff (a welcome addition to this week's classes) and Simone Awor covered all the tables (looked like they were getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner), put out buckets of the glue mixture and the newsprint strips and plastic plates for the glue to drip in (rather than on to the tables). These steps cannot be done by arriving 5 minutes before classes begin! Of course, set-up of the classroom is only a tiny portion of the prep work involved when rolling out a lesson plan in a public school to classes of 25-30 kids (oft times 4 or 5 classes in one day).
These sculptures need to dry thoroughly and will be painted next week.
We double dipped this week too. During our tiny bit of down time (technically our lunch period - but we always are doing something related to our lessons after gobbling down our food), we even started prepping for classes at PS 6 for this Friday by creating armatures for Chris' 2nd class in creating sculptures of shoes. We had all of the supplies already at PS 17 so we took advantage rather than schlepping cardboard, glue, templates, etc, from school to school around Jersey City!
Now - back to PS 17 - the 1st and 2nd graders continued their pieces inspired by the works of Ed Rath by adding color using acrylic markers. Some students really mastered the feel of Ed's paintings - I'm sure he would be pleased. It's also amazing that the colors in our box of markers are quite like the colors Ed uses. Maybe Ed has created his own line of markers that we didn't know about??
They created lots of cars and buses - even an FBI van (I didn't ask!) - and even a bus decorated with flowers and hearts (kind of like those flower power VW vans from the '60s) and one was sort of Mondrian inspired (like the one The Partridge Family drove around in!).
The kids love Chris - last week one said to me "you're only my 2nd favorite teacher now". Fickle first graders!!!”
Dennis reports in on ART YARD Art Matters at PS 6 in Jersey City: “I rallied the troops to have lots of helping hands on Friday at PS 6, our partnership school in Jersey City. Knowing that Teaching Artist Christoper Allen's 2nd week of his "Can’t Leave Home Without" lesson would be dedicated to working in paper mâché, I anticipated the need for some extra help with set-up, clean-up, and overall support.
Our team consisted of me (Dennis), Chris, Simone and Evelyn - and it was sort of a repeat performance of covering tables, mixing glue and water, tearing up paper strips, helping put together armatures etc - only difference is that at PS 6 (as opposed to the one 4th grade class working in paper mache at PS 17), we have 3 full classes back to back.
Chris recapped the lesson from last week where students designed and drew shoes - now they're bringing them into the 3D world of sculpture. He demonstrated the process of dipping paper into the glue mixture, squeezing the excess off, and applying to the armature - then molding and shaping. Every student paid close attention and went right to work.
We discussed the somewhat odd tradition of bronzing baby shoes which resulted in tiny sculptures so I brought in MY bronzed baby shoe. Note that the word "shoe" is singular - upon preparing our parents’ house for sale about 15 years ago, my brother and sister found THEIR pairs of shoes - but for some reason only one of mine exists. Seemed fitting tho as students only created one shoe each! Many were totally puzzled by this nostalgic ritual - is this not a thing anymore?
As if working in paper mâché isn't messy enough - there is no sink in our art room at the school. We filled up many coffee containers and buckets with water and had rolls upon rolls of paper towels handy.
We have a large wire rack in our classroom which works perfectly for storing the almost 80 shoes. Evelyn came up with the brilliant idea of balancing the wet sculptures on a pair of chopsticks over plastic plates - to avoid the sculptures from sticking to the plates. It worked - well, at least, it seemed to work. We will find out for sure next week when we return to the school.”
Other Art News: Exhibitions to see!
Curious about Frieze Art Fair? AYB Artist Ajani Russell stylishly reports in with photos of their favorite art on view including works by Andy Warhol, Leonora Carrington (2), Khalif Tahir Thompson, Abraham González Pacheco, Hein Koh and Alice Neal (behind Ajani).
Congratulations to AYB Artist Ed Rath on PRACTICING MEMORY: 55 Mercer and the Living Archive which opened last night at NoHo M55 Gallery, 548 W 28th St #634 NYC 10001. The exhibition will remain on view through May 30, 2026.
Jacob shares photos from the opening:
Curated by AYB Artist Golnar Adili and Melika Abikenari, with work by AYB Artists Midred Beltré, Free Inside, Meridith McNeal, Iviva Olenick and Ajani Russell we encourage you to join us for mādar, iran relief exhibition tonight, Friday May 15, 6pm - late, at Cue Art Foundation, 137 W. 25th Street, NYC.
We encourage you to join us tomorrow, Saturday May 16, 6-8pm for the opening of Resized, at The Gallery at 180 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn.
💖
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