Beautiful ways to show up
Updated: 2 hours ago
Come to the Opening!
Tomorrow, Saturday, September 26, 6–8pm, The Gallery at 180 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn: Drawing The Line, the first solo exhibition of AYB Artist Ajani Russell. The event is free and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served.
Come see 187 drawings spanning a decade of Ajani’s work—a sustained exploration of line as both a record of experience and a way of making the internal world visible. Working primarily on paper, Ajani combines drawing, mixed media, and site-responsive installation to create an immersive field of marks, images, and fragments that move between the familiar and the fantastical.
As often happens with drawings, you really need to see them in person to truly appreciate the work. Even with that phenomenon, we are thrilled with the installation. Here is a sneak preview:
Dennis and the AYB team are full steam ahead at ART YARD Art Matters at PS34. In many ways, this intensive residency is akin to AYB Summer Session in both focus and accomplishment. Artists of all ages can benefit from this sort of focused, productive, and intellectually engaging work. The proof is in the pictures!
This week in Advanced Studio on zoom we got into alternative materials, drawing sculpturally and we laughed in the Autumnal Equinox at Advanced Studio in person at 180 Franklin Avenue. See below for More About The Boot...
Advanced Studio on Zoom
Artists worked with Teaching Artist Iviva Olenick on an Advanced Studio on zoom session on "drawing in space," using line as a tool to "take drawings off the page," creating works that can be strung, hung from the ceiling, creatively installed with or without 3-dimensionality.
Iviva explains: “I Reference artists included Niki Brisnovali-Grillakis, whose suspended sculptures inspired by ironwork are essentially line drawings in space; and Fred Sandback, who used cord to create incredibly minimalist installations, drawing lines through space to redefine positive and negative space and human movement in the space. Wrapping up with a research project into African American blacksmiths of the South and Sankofa.”
Artist responses to the prompt were varied and successful and AYB folks lift me up every time with your talents and generosity.”
By stringing cut and fringed “recovery blanket” across a plant in her window, Maraya created a moving piece about children in forced detention. Meridith pointed out that the ambient audio of street noise, kids playing and a child’s voice peeling out “Mommy!” make for an appropriate sound track.
Maraya writes: “My piece, Oh, the Games They Play, is made from a cutting of a pathos plant and a Mylar survival blanket, like those given to immigrants sent to ICE detention centers. It’s an homage to the children in those centers.
In their serious and unimaginable situations of detainment, I wonder how they spend their time. I wonder what kinds of games they are inventing to keep themselves occupied and distracted from the frivolous games being played with their lives.”
Marilyn used a sort of strung across composition of mixed materials and plants.
Lila compliments: “The moment I saw Marilyn’s piece, it spoke to me. It was the deep symbolism behind it that stopped me in my tracks. Oddly, it brought me right back to my grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. She was my best friend, a strong matriarch, and the heart of our family.
After she passed, I began noticing subtle reminders of her presence, especially butterflies. When I was a child, she used to sing a song to me called Pretty Painted Butterfly, and years later, she sang that very same song to my daughters. Ever since she left us, butterflies have seemed to follow me everywhere I go, and seeing one woven into Marilyn’s artwork felt like another quiet nudge from her.
Then my eyes caught the bird resting among the leaves. My grandmother was from the island of Dominica, and I immediately recognized the parrot which, the Sisserou Parrot, the national bird that sits proudly at the center of the country's flag. In Dominica, the Sisserou represents freedom, resilience, and a deep, fierce connection to the land. These were qualities that mirrored my grandmother's spirit.
To top it all off, I noticed a pepper tucked quietly between the details. My grandmother always cooked with Scotch bonnet peppers, bringing that unmistakable warmth, flavor, and balance to every dish she made for us.
Seeing all these elements gathered in one artwork felt like a gentle bridge between past and present. Marilyn’s piece unconsciously honored the memory of the woman who shaped me, reminding me that the people we love never truly leave us. They find new, beautiful ways to show up when we need them most.”
Pat's wrapped branches with leaves in a sort of magic wand form and repurposed a cutout paper squirrel.
Vyomika also went back to an earlier piece, in her case she used it as a spring board for a new veiled figure mixed media artwork.
Vyomika Tewary, Veiled Figure and Drawing in Space
Meridith's cut paper, painted sage leaves bundled in thread and hang from a pin on the wall. Others thought it a rather convincing bundle of drying herbs. Meridith pointed out the fine white lines are actually the inside of the cut paper which she painted on both sides with many shades of green watercolor.
Flo's "balance of money" mobile with bills and coins suspended from a branch really had us talking about the role of money in our lives.
Florian Kiniffo-Neven du Mont, Balance of Money
Briana worked uncharacteristically in digital collage creating a narrative from objects in her home. Flo pointed out that Briana’s color sense and style are apparent even in an unfamiliar medium.
Travis delicately cut out a tree from black paper. He added color, rippled the paper and added a raked light for more effect.
In one of the best paper clip sculptures ever, Leah proves that everyday materials can make the perfect artmaking tool!
Leah Eliopulos, Drawing in Space
Inspired by a social media hair stylist sensation, Adji created a mixed media drawing emulating sculptural braided hair (still in progress).
Adji Ngathe Kebe, Screen shot of inspirational artists and Drawing in Space (in progress)
Lila created a mixed media collage deep with meaning.
Lila expounds: "When I created Reflections, I wanted to explore the delicate ecosystem we all inhabit, a balance of human lives moving through societal constraints and unspoken hierarchies. I built this piece using layered cutouts of construction paper, collage paper, foil, and natural leaves, with each material carrying its own purpose and truth.
At the heart of the piece are flowers, which represent us as human beings. We are meant to evolve and grow together on this shared planet, yet so often we find ourselves out of alignment, not only with each other, but with nature itself. The foil forms a mirror within the artwork, reminding us that every person we meet is a reflection of who we are. We constantly see ourselves in others, just as we project our own inner world back onto them.
Above it all, the moon oversees these earthly rhythms. A woman’s face gazes upward, honoring the deep connection between women's cycles and the night sky. What happens above reflects what unfolds down here on Earth. Beneath her gaze, the leaves form rolling hills, serving as a quiet reminder of our return to the soil. Every single one of us moves through the same cycle of birth and death. We arrive with nothing, and we leave with nothing but ourselves.
Ultimately, Reflections is a call to unity. It is meant to strengthen us as a human family, reminding us that we belong to one single race. My hope is that this piece helps us reconnect with one another, and with Mother Earth, as we find our way back into balance.”
Advanced Studio in Person
Tuesday’s Advanced Studio in person at 180 Franklin Avenue began upstairs on the roof deck, where we took advantage of the crisp, fresh air and a gorgeous view of Brooklyn.
We were delighted to have participating artist Kevin Anderson return as a Teaching Artist for his first session in a year. His last session was the final one before the fire at our former space in Red Hook. The lesson explored the work of fashion illustrators René Gruau and David Downton. Kevin prepared copies of artist images and explanations of their approaches for everyone, and volunteers read the material aloud for one another. We were mighty impressed by Richie’s clarity of speech and French pronunciation, and by Jacob’s dramatic reading skills.
Fashion illustration by René Gruau and David Downton
Kevin reflects: “I was genuinely impressed by the turn out of the lesson: everyone had produced art work that was only a reflection of their own style, and captured their subjects beautifully. Each artist utilized various forms of line weight to express their subject, as well as made unique poses that reflected their personality.
The lesson that I hoped for everyone to take away was to focus on general shapes and form as opposed to detail, which is something that I hope to take with me in my ever growing journey as an artist.
When I explored Gruau and Downton’s work, I was genuinely inspired by their portrayals of contemporary fashion. There is a very thoughtful approach behind line weight, brush strokes, and usage of negative space that creates a beautiful sense of immersion.
My main takeaway is that the artist’s journey is an evolution of perspective, and how that perspective is conveyed in one’s pieces. And I hope to challenge myself by exploring the different styles and techniques of artists in the future, from periods that I have yet to discover.”
Cheyenne Rivera, Portrait of Briana l & ll
For the artmaking Kevin had everyone pair up and switch off between drawing and posing, although some chose to work as teams. The posing became increasingly theatrical. Some of our more acrobatic types struck superhero poses — Richie among them — while Vee gave us some excellent acrobatic poses. Others appeared to be taking a more restful approach, including Kevin, who seemed to be napping.
And then there was the boot. Somehow, a drawing from another session — a booted foot — had been added to the group of drawings. It actually worked beautifully as a comparison, since it was the only portrait that focused in closely on a foot. About a third of the way through critique, we all suddenly realized that the boot had not been drawn that evening and we collapsed in laughter.
And while we were still on that low chuckle, Richie demonstrated his version of the Minion dance which was the inspiration for his pose, which was absolutely wonderful and has us all giggling again.
Laughter really is a remarkable thing. The joy level at ART YARD BKLYN runs generally high anyway, but Tuesday’s session was positively ebullient. Between the beautiful Brooklyn air, Kevin’s thoughtful teaching, everyone’s distinctive drawings and poses, dramatic readings, French pronunciation, an unexplained boot, and a Minion dance, it really was a wonderful session.
ART YARD Art Matters in the School
Dennis Buonagura keeps us in the loop: “Week 2 at PS 34 was just as busy as last week. Our AYB team for this 3-week programming cycle includes Teaching Artists Evelyn Beliveau and Leo Emabat, assisted by Denzel Jeter, and Simone Awor.”
Here’s what Evelyn Beliveau reports about our students’ progress: “At PS 34, our Wednesday and Thursday classes are creating work inspired by Hilma af Klint (we didn’t meet with our Monday classes due to the holiday). On Wednesday, Leo took over leading the students in watercolor painting, and on Thursday, I (Evelyn) jumped back in to introduce students to the next step.
Some students had painted in watercolor before, and for others it was new. We gave everyone a crash course in how much water to use to allow the paint to flow without soaking the paper. Not always easy! It can be tempting to use more water, resulting in warped pages or rough surfaces-- but too little water isn’t ideal either, as it results in pigment scraping rather than flowing across the paper. With some trial and error, students got the hang of it and had great success, many painting carefully within the lines they’d drawn.
Evelyn, Simone, Leo and Denzel working with students
Students in K through 3 chose different colors for each shape and for the spaces where shapes overlap. Grades 4 and 5, who had drawn shapes that overlap, touch, or nest and lines that become dotted lines when they pass behind the shapes, also chose a color for each shape, and were challenged to change the color when the shapes overlap but not where the dotted lines pass through. Grades 6, 7, and 8 had drawn lines and shapes as symbols with their own chosen meanings, and they chose their own color schemes to fill out their compositions.
Students painting and showing off work
Our team had our hands full resetting the room between classes: stacking artwork in the drying rack, dashing out to rinse brushes and get fresh water (as we have no sink in the art room), and wiping down tables so each class could enter a clean space. By the end of each day, students had created stacks of vibrant abstract artworks, which we’re excited to display in an art exhibition later in the year-- and some could even recite the name of the artist, Hilma af Klint!”
Student paintings inspired by Hilma af Klint
Dennis adds: “Tuesday and Friday classes (K, 1 and 2) were continuations of last week’s Sol Lewitt–inspired “woven” pieces, and those students who completed theirs moved on. Leo created a lesson (also based on Lewitt’s work) using circles and ovals with swirly lines.
Sol Lewitt inspires the students at PS 34
Students used watercolors or markers to add color and remained totally focused. One smart 2nd grader even commented that both projects fell perfectly under our “Drawing The Line” theme. She was certainly correct!”
What We Are Reading
I’m re-reading Mary Gabriel’s Ninth Street Women (Little Brown and Company, 2018). The book’s portrait of postwar New York’s art world feels both wonderfully distant and surprisingly familiar: the friendships, rivalries, gossip, experimentation, poverty, ambition, and sheer camaraderie of artists making work alongside one another.
Ninth Street Women is a deeply researched and comprehensive study of the NYC artworld in the 20th century. The first time I read it, I literally rested the doorstop of a book on the table to get through it. This time I’m listening to the audiobook through BPL—39 hours at regular speed, although I have it set to 1.15x, which I think may shave a few hours off that. This is truly a NYC-centric art deep dive and I loved it every bit as much on this second read.
Talking about Elaine and William de Kooning and their cronies, the book describes “an embracing community [of] all ages, ethnicities, and sexual orientations, dedicated to their art and to helping each other enjoy life as much as possible.” Sound familiar?
Other Art News
AYB is featured in the latest issue of MEANS / Art Is Still Honest! ✨We’re excited to be part of this issue celebrating artists, community, collaboration, and the many ways art can create meaningful connections.
Check out the full issue at @art_is_still_honest.
Adji Ngathe Kebe reports that she tried out the ceramic berry washers we saw in progress a few weeks ago — and they are functional!!! As Adji puts it: “I think the space where I reach my hand could be bigger, so I’ll try to make a different one this Sunday, inchallah.”
There’s something particularly satisfying about that moment when you know it worked and at the same time, you can already see how to make the next version even more successful.
Rachel Palmer has also shared updated photographs of her ceramic bowl, showing both the wet version and the finished piece. She has accomplished a wonderful swirling effect in the clay! Seeing the two stages side by side gives us a wonderful glimpse into the transformation that happens along the way.
Rachel Palmer, Swirled bowl in progress and glazed
AYB artist Abriel (bob) Gardner writes from New Mexico, where she is taking some time to rejuvenate among horses and wildlife, with plenty of reading and sketching along the way.
Abriel (bob) writes: “I’m on a ranch owned by my mom’s friend, who she met 40 years ago when she was living on the Navajo reservation. The ranch is about 300 miles from the nearest town (about a 2.5-hour drive), so we are really out here. The ranch house has a big fireplace and an amazing window with a bench where I have been reading. It’s been rainy, so I’ve already gotten through a book and a half.
The horses on the land are older, about 25 years old, and they are so sweet and calm. I haven’t gotten to ride them yet because of the rain, but I’ve just sat with them and pet them, and it’s been a wonderful experience.
Today I also saw a wild hare, a hummingbird, a hawk, and a fire ant hill. And a rainbow—a beautiful rainbow!”
Abriel (bob) Gardner's photos from the ranch
Exhibitions to See
Banned Books opened at the Valley Cottage Library on Saturday, September 19. The exhibition is expertly installed by project directors Katie Karkheck and Caroline Siecke-Pape, who have developed the Banned Books Trading Card Project into a wonderful intersection of art, books, and community.
For the 2026 project, artists were invited to create their own reimagining of the cover of a banned or challenged book. The resulting works are presented as an exhibition and reproduced as a deck of trading cards—an inventive way of bringing the artwork, the books, and the conversation around them beyond the gallery walls.
We’re especially excited to see the work of so many AYB Artists included in this year’s exhibition: Travis Deen (Pereira), Sudan Green, Candy Heiland, Free Inside, Florian Kiniffo-Neven du Mont, Meridith McNeal, Jacob Rath, Marie Roberts, and Ajani Russell.
The library notes that every year brings an unexpected range of creativity from the participating artists, and that the exhibition continues to grow with each edition. The 2026 Banned Book Trading Card decks are available for $10 at the library’s circulation desk.
A smart, engaging project that brings artists and readers together around books, censorship, and the freedom to read.
All are invited to join AYB Teaching Artists Aisha Tandiwe Bell and Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow for the exhibition closing party Sunday, September 27 | 4–6 PM at Tiger Strikes Asteroid, 1329 Willoughby Ave, Suite 2A, Brooklyn.
Rock, Stone, Steel and Rope, a two-person exhibition by Jacquenette Arnette and AYB Teaching Artist Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, curated by AYB Teaching Artist Aisha Tandiwe Bell which explores material, memory, and the intertwined histories of the Caribbean and United States, while reflecting on the legacies of racism and colonialism.
Congratulations to AYB Artist Maraya Lopez on her solo exhibition, 10 Triggers & A Wild Card, on view October 1–27, 2026, at University Hall Gallery at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. The exhibition is presented in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and by the Art, Communication and Media Department.
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