Dream Now
- frida@artyardbklyn.org
- Sep 12
- 12 min read
Updated: Sep 12
Don’t you imagine the leaves dream now
~ Mary Oliver, Song for Autumn (excerpt)
The light is shifting, the air carries a hint of change — it must be the Song for Autumn! With renewed energy and joyful purpose, Dennis, Leni, Leo, and Simone are back in action with ART YARD Art Matters in the school. Our Advanced Studio program has taken off with momentum, diving deeply into our new theme: The Year of Migration, both virtually on Zoom and vibrantly in person at our Red Hook studio at BWAC.
Plus, we’re thrilled to share that AYB Artist Lila Green has written a compelling review of the Banned Book Trading Cards exhibition, which includes the work of ten AYB artists — a powerful showcase of creativity, resistance, and voice.
ART YARD Art Matters in the School is back in action!
Managing Director Dennis Buonagura enthusiastically recaps: "An excellent first week back at the Barack Obama School PS 34 in Jersey City! I accepted a short-term assignment—four days a week for the entire month of September. We have a total of 18 classes in 4 days—grades K through 8—with approximately 200 students served each week. Long days—generally starting with a 9:30 AM class and ending at 2:45—then, the 'great migration' back to NYC on NJ Transit.
Principal Maniscalco asked me to correlate our theme of migration with a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which we were glad to do.
Teaching Artist Leo Emabat's lesson explored the culture people bring with them when migrating—specifically, the culture of food. Students viewed a presentation with dozens of images of foods from Hispanic countries such as empanadas, guacamole, tamales, and flautas. Students eagerly contributed additional ideas—one 7th grader educated us on the cuisine of Honduras and incorporated those elements into his artwork. Our Wednesday schedule included six classes in a row (!), with 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.
Two classes chose food types outside of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, featuring dishes from around the world, including hummus, matzah ball soup, dumplings—and lots of pizzas! Thinking ahead to our exhibition, we’re aiming for diversity in our work, and definitely don’t want all of our 'plates' looking identical.
Using round white corrugated cardboard discs in various sizes, students started drafts this week in pencil, then went over their drawings (as best as possible—outstanding pencil marks will be erased!) in black Sharpie. These works will become watercolor paintings of foods viewed from above, as if seen on a plate.
Leo teaching and students at work on his lesson
Teaching Artist Leni Silva's lesson introduced students to the migration of mariposas (butterflies), including the monarch butterflies that travel to Latin America, specifically the fir forests of Central Mexico. This week’s project (still in draft stage) was drawn in pencil, with a surprise process to come next week. Leni used the overhead projector so that students—mostly 1st and 2nd graders—could follow along with her step-by-step. It was an excellent idea!
Leni demonstrating with overhead projector, students at work & butterfly drawings
Leni elaborates: “I taught my first class of the fall semester at PS 34 this week. The students learned about the monarch butterfly migration while honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. They drafted symmetrical butterflies for their three-part Mariposa project. Though it was a guided drawing lesson, most students dove right in to create their own unique butterflies. Many even took it upon themselves to add scenery to their drawings. In their next class, they’ll move on to painting using blotting techniques.”
Leo and Leni were assisted by AYB volunteer Simone Awor, who was a tremendous asset to our group with her expert assistance and calm demeanor—many students were drawn right to her side. Thanks also to Miss Carpena, the PS 34 art teacher, who participated in every minute of every lesson. I’m grateful to have this team together to make these lessons a success.
We began our Advanced Studio on zoom with a shimmering session led by AYB Artist Assata Benoit. Her thoughtful approach wove together two lenses on migration — the physical, as observed in bird migration patterns, and the metaphorical, through the movement of light captured in shimmering, iridescent materials.
Assata’s presentation drew connections between the visual phenomenon of sparkle and the deeper symbolism of transformation and flight. We explored these ideas through the works of artists Claire Buckley, Chris Martin, and Barkley Hendricks, each of whom uses reflective and radiant materials to capture a sense of energy and transition.
Inspired, we created our own works incorporating glitter, metallics, and movement. Photographing our creations turned out to be a challenge — iridescence is elusive! — but the process was rich and satisfying. This session set the tone for a year of bold experimentation and insightful connections.
Karla summarizes the session: “This was a wonderful way to start another season of AYB Advanced Studio! Quite the challenge—working with reflective material and depicting light. I really liked Leah's image of buildings and the moon.
Migration brings thoughts of birds and butterflies, spiders and waterfowl—all migrating as the seasons follow calendar-assigned rituals. Several artists included birds, stars and planets, and shifting light sources. Cycles of movement and change were apparent in all the works.
Meridith's egret is skillfully highlighted in beautifully flowing line and form.
Ed's layer upon layer of color in pointillist style draws one deeply into the abstraction and creates a sense of complex energy.
Also working abstractly to depict movement were Neah and Assata.
Neah Gray, Sparkling Movement (in progress), & Assata Benoit, Sparkling Movement (in progress), paint on paper
Adji really created a curious piece with interior sunlight being dispersed through a window onto the floor.
My (Karla) own piece features a bird silhouette to symbolically incorporate birds I’ve been watching as the fall migration unfolds in Kansas. Many passing through the state on their way to winter homes! The Blood Moon was spectacular and brought thoughts of the movement of stars in the night skies—as Earth and Sun rotate and change visual location, creating phases as the universe presents seasons of continual change.”
Allison and Marilyn depict migrating birds -- Allison as a kinetic mobile, and Marilyn with collaged foil.
Allison Schwartz, Sparkling Movement: Bird Migration, mixed media sculpture
As a fun extra, Karla shared a photo from her Kansas yard — a butterfly that had alighted upon the lantana plant on her patio. It looked like a Swallowtail — a familiar visitor for some of us in Brooklyn, too. She called it a “Migration!! Patio Lantana stopover!” A lovely little moment that quietly echoed some of the themes we touched on today.
Oh, what a joy to return for Advanced Studio In Person in our beloved studio at BWAC in Red Hook, where the harbor sparkles in the sunlight and inspiration flows as freely as the tides outside our window. Inside, the room buzzed with energy and conversation as BWAC members installed their exhibitions, and we got back to what we love: making art together.
View from the AYB studio window at BWAC, Red Hook, Brooklyn
Leading our first in-person session of the season, AYB Artist Ajani Russell guided us into the intriguing world of invasive species — plants and insects that have migrated to New York and reshaped the local ecosystem.
Ajani summarizes: “I presented several works by Yayoi Kusama, noting that she explores themes of infinity and expanding beyond borders with her entangling polka dot motifs. I felt this was very fitting for the theme of migration and used Kusama’s lens to look at invasive species—or non-native creatures accidentally brought here—with the potential to change the ecosystem we have in New York City.
Participating artists created collages using textures and patterns, translating them into form. Leni really captured the infinity space conundrum.
Some works, like Ed’s and Richie’s, drifted beyond the edges of the paper, giving the encroaching effect of an invasive species.
The exploration of texture was quite remarkable and approached in various ways. Leah created texture using charcoal and high contrast, while Ariel juxtaposed vibrantly colored motifs.
Liv’s had no spot left uncollaged—completely layering various blue patterns to create a swirling depth—while Chace used the composition to center the subject by creating a horizontal bar through the middle of his piece.
Shellorne used her pattern to both camouflage and highlight the frog she chose as her subject. The pattern she selected perfectly matched its eyes in both shape and color.
Lilo’s bug felt as if it had just landed on the picnic blanket.
We found Nayrait’s bold bug both a bit intimidating and quite humorous.
Cammi and Maria both worked in 3-D collaged elements.
Adji’s midge is gorgeously adorned with marker patterning.
Advanced Studio at work on this session. (Use arrows to scroll)
To top it off, we shared a delicious quinoa and green salad (with the perfect grapes!), and soaked up the view — golden sun across the water, a reminder of migration’s beauty and inevitability.
Other Art News
AYB Teaching Artist Marie Roberts shares drawings she did on site at World Trade Center where she went on 9/11 to remember, draw and honor the anniversary.
Marie Roberts, Observational Drawings at WTC, 9/11/25 (use arrows to scroll)
AYB Artist Mia Lew checks in from RISD! This week, she shares the completed version of the Van Gogh-inspired ink piece we saw last week in progress.
Mia writes: “Everyone in my studio group keeps telling me I have a distinct style and I’m like dang it, I do!” Well, we knew that!
As well as a beautiful still life drawing from her Drawing Studio course:
“The Banned Books Trading Cards Project 2025 at the Valley Cottage Library”, writes AYB Artist Kalila (Lila) Green, “was an incredible display of artistic talent and a powerful statement about intellectual freedom. It was inspiring to see so many artists, from seasoned professionals to young, emerging talents, come together to use their skills to protest book bans and challenges. The range of books represented was impressive, with artists interpreting everything from children's books to classic literature. The works were installed beautifully, a testament to the meticulous planning and thoughtful execution of the event's organizers, Katie Karkheck and Caroline Siecke-Pape. Each piece seemed to breathe life into the space, creating a vibrant and engaging dialogue between the art, the books, and the attendees.
Installation video by Candy Heiland
I would like to highlight a few of the artworks presented by my fellow ART YARD artists. Travis Deen created a card for The Witches by Roald Dahl. His piece was a beautiful woman in a striking purple gown gazing at her opposite reflection in the mirror, highlighting her hidden true self at her core. Candy Heiland used her art to interpret Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Her piece depicted a Cupie doll with a shirt that read "History is Bunk." This ironic statement, famously attributed to Henry Ford, was particularly poignant in the context of an event dedicated to preserving stories and lessons from the past that others have tried to erase. I also really enjoyed the work of Jacob Rath, who painted a piece for The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. His piece, a woman enjoying a cigarette in a black "Playboy Bunny" outfit, highlighted the then and still ongoing sexual exploitation of women. The image felt particularly poignant, as it related to how women's bodies in the book are reduced to a function and commodified for the state, much like the Handmaids themselves. The card for Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, created by Marie A. Roberts, showcased a blue snake against a brown background. The simple yet poignant and striking image of the snake, a symbol often associated with cycles and rebirth, perfectly captured the book's complex, never-ending narrative. Abriel (Bob) Gardner's work for A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle was depicted by bright colorful swirling patterns. This powerful statement perfectly captured the otherworldly and mind-bending journey of the characters as they "tesser" through time and space to save their loved ones. I was also tickled by Leah Eliopulos' piece for Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. Her work was a playful sketch of children swinging over a body of water with a sinking boat below. This image perfectly captured the core relevance of Silverstein's work: the duality of finding whimsy and imagination as an escape, even in the face of underlying darkness and things falling apart. Assata Benoit contributed a powerful piece for Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. The work was a depiction of a person shrouded in a black cloth with streams of colorful swirling energies behind them, emitting powerful frequencies into the ether. This powerful image captured Janie’s journey to find her voice and spiritual self, which emanates from her core, despite the external forces trying to suppress it. Free Inside created a striking card for Divergent by Veronica Roth. The piece had rich layers of blue color among a staircase-shaped patch of negative white space with the words "I am Divergent." The use of negative space to outline the staircase was a clever way to represent the hidden and often dangerous path the Divergent characters must take to exist freely within their world. I also admired the work of Meridith McNeal, who created a piece for The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson. Meridith set the scene with the deep red book gently placed on a table near a half-full bottle of white wine with a red daisy nestled snugly on the side. This delicate still life beautifully evoked the quiet, gentle spirit of Ferdinand—the bull who preferred to smell the flowers rather than fight—reminding us that true strength lies not in aggression, but in peaceful contemplation and a reverence for the small, beautiful moments in life. It was a perfect blend of art and activism, and I left feeling both more aware and more hopeful. (Pictured in that order below)
When I (Lila) received an email from AYB inviting me to participate, I was thrilled to be a part of this fantastic project. The initiative is a peaceful way to protest the banning of books, and it's amazing to be able to use my art for such a meaningful cause. For my piece, I created a trading card for Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. It is a sketch of an elephant emerging from a wave of water behind it. The red background is a stark reminder of the struggles that are faced when both animals and humans are faced with oppression, much like the tumultuous and unpredictable circus life that both Jacob and the elephants must navigate, a life that can be as beautiful and freeing as it is dangerous and confining.
The event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with other artists and see their interpretations of different challenged books. It was a great feeling to know that we were all contributing to something larger than ourselves. The atmosphere was vibrant and filled with creative energy, and it was clear that everyone involved, from the organizers to the attendees, shared a love for both art and reading. It was a powerful reminder that "Free People Read Freely."
Congratulations to AYB Teaching Artists Iviva Olenick and Marie Roberts who have work included in “We Belong,” a group exhibit curated by Arts Gowanus for The Affordable Art Fair, Wednesday–Sunday, September 17th–21st at the Starrett-Lehigh Building, 601 West 26th Street, 4th Floor, NYC.
This past weekend, AYB Artist Leni Silva visited Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers at MoMA. As an AYB favorite, af Klint continues to inspire with her visionary, spiritually infused work—often considered a precursor to modern abstraction.
Leni writes: “I was taken aback by the level of detail—and especially by the scale—of the works. MoMA provided magnifying glasses for visitors to truly appreciate each painting and to see what af Klint herself may have seen as she worked. While these pieces are not as abstract as some of her other work, symbolic elements were scattered throughout each one, inviting close and thoughtful viewing.”
Leni views work through magnifying glass. Paintings by Himla af Klint, MoMa
Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) was a Swedish artist and mystic whose innovative use of color, geometry, and esoteric symbolism places her among the pioneers of abstract art.
The exhibition is on view through October 12, 2025—don’t miss it!
What We Are Reading
I (Meridith) just finished photographer Sally Mann's new book Art Work (Harry N. Abrams, September, 2025), and I found it
engaging. Now in her 70s, Mann writes with the voice of experience—offering advice to younger artists with a style that is both unvarnished and erudite. I love her vocabulary and her knack for storytelling.
She’s refreshingly honest about challenges and failures, but the overall tone is one of encouragement. Mann is especially clear about the habits of artistic life: writing, cataloguing, making lists, saving ephemera, fostering friendships, and keeping up epistolary relationships. (She believes letter writing is the most personal and honest form of communication.)
The book is peppered with photos of journal pages, letters, and her photographic work, making it a visually satisfying experience as well.
Mann instructs: "Think of your artist’s vision as liquid intelligence, separate altogether from your solid-state brain; allow it to find its own level, to penetrate a psychic stratum deep within you..." (p. 221)
💙🦋
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