Hold Dear
- frida@artyardbklyn.org
- 32 minutes ago
- 9 min read
This first week of spring has been mercurial here in Brooklyn -- swinging from short sleeves to down-parka weather and back again. No matter what we were wearing, the artmaking was red-hot.
We celebrated Women’s History Month on zoom and created sculptural lockets in person at Advanced Studio, while our school programs in Jersey City continued full tilt with an extra-packed schedule. From farther afield: our exhibition Hold Dear is now on view at Small House Gallery in London. Meanwhile, AYB Artist Ed Rath has been in Kansas speaking at the Salina Art Center.
We are thrilled to announce that our exhibition Hold Dear has officially opened at Small House Gallery!
Curated for ART YARD BKLYN by Lenika Silva and Jacob Rath, with Eldi Dundee for Small House Gallery, this two-part exhibition—Left Behind and Kept—reflects on migration, memory, and belonging, exploring what we relinquish and what we carry with us when we move.
Conceived during AYB’s Summer Session 2025, the exhibition brings together miniature works created by AYB Artists centered on the theme Migration: From Here to There. Across both “houses,” artists reflect on the emotional terrain of transition—from the ache of homesickness to the possibility of renewal—through objects that symbolize loss, resilience, and choice. Hold Dear captures the quiet, powerful act of deciding what matters most when everything changes.
Zines designed by Lenika Silva
Links to the zines Hold Dear: Left Behind & Hold Dear: Kept which together serve as the exhibition catalogue.
Hold Dear features work by Kevin Anderson, Simone Awor, Evelyn Beliveau, Asiana (Nana) Billie, Anisa Branch, Briana (Cammi) Camacho, Liv Collins, Eldi Dundee, Leah Eliopulos, Abriel (bob) Gardner, Jazz Gilette, Lizzenka Gonzalez, Roseanne Hu, Adji Ngathe Kebe, Florian Kiniffo-Neven du Mont, Mia Lew, Delphine Levenson, Meridith McNeal, John Sebastian Narvarte, Ed Rath, Jacob Rath, Okuhle Rulashe, Ajani Russell, Elias Silva, Lenika Silva, Luna Velayandom-Neven du Mont, Quentin Williamston, and Cindy Estrella Zacarías.
On Monday in Advanced Studio on zoom AYB Artist Fatima Traore presented Journey to Equality: Mapping the Migration of Women’s Rights.
Fatima recaps: “In honor of Women’s History Month my lesson invited participants to create visual timelines and artistic representations that traced the progression of women’s rights from the past to the present, while also imagining possibilities for the future.
I guided artists in exploring how rights and opportunities have “migrated” over time in response to challenges within patriarchal societies. A key component of the session was the incorporation of historical and contemporary women artists, emphasizing the importance of representation and the ways artists choose—or choose not—to reference themselves within their work. Artists such as Bisa Butler, Judith Leyster, the Guerrilla Girls, Nancy Spero, and Caroline Walker served as important touchpoints, helping to frame discussions around visibility, marginalization, and artistic voice.
Participants produced deeply reflective and layered works. Travis created an abstracted reproductive system, drawing attention to what is essential yet often overlooked.
Meridith expanded her miniature dollhouse series by constructing a feminist library—reimagining a space she felt was absent during her own education, where male artists and writers were predominantly centered.
Karla reflected on her childhood through imagery of old-fashioned toys and dolls that reinforced white, Western beauty standards.
Nayarit developed two digital collages: one highlighting the systemic neglect of Black women, and another addressing restrictive societal expectations through repeated phrases like “be seen and not heard.”
Nayarit Tineo, Mapping the Migration of Women’s Rights l & ll
Marilyn created a visual timeline reflecting generational change, from rigid gender roles to women breaking barriers in fields such as science and engineering.
Richie focused on the future, using interconnected lines to symbolize hope and continuity.
Rashidah explored her adolescence through contrasting symbols of femininity and societal expectations—skirts versus shorts, shaved versus unshaved legs, heels versus socks—challenging norms around public acceptability.
Aaron used the form of a braid to examine themes of origin, disruption, resistance, and expansion. Flow incorporated geometric shapes balanced on a scale to represent access, collective strength, and power in numbers.
My (Fatima) own work centered on the experiences of Black girls and women, particularly the scrutiny of appearance and hair within Eurocentric beauty standards. Referencing the CROWN Act, she used symbolism to map a timeline addressing formality, identity, and access within educational and professional spaces.
Overall, the session fostered critical dialogue and creative expression, resulting in thoughtful artworks that examined the complexities of women’s rights, identity, and representation across time.”
This Tuesday in Advanced Studio at 180 Franklin Avenue, AYB Artist Evelyn Beliveau led a thoughtful and lively session creating double-sided, folding paper locket sculptures—each one holding images of beings we care about but are physically distant from. Inspired in part by my (Meridith) cut paper and painted sculptures, Evelyn came prepared with samples (as did I), allowing us to both ground the conversation and fully support participants throughout their making.
Evelyn Beliveau, Locket
Meridith McNeal, Locket
We began with a simple question: who has had a locket? and quickly discovered that while only a few had, nearly everyone had longed for one. That shared feeling sparked a wide-ranging and spirited conversation, from lockets as subtle emotional cues in Disney films to nostalgic Scholastic book sets that included lockets as prized bonus gifts. Stories followed: Meridith recounted the mystery of a military man pictured in her great aunt’s locket, while Ajani Russell shared inventive childhood versions, one holding chewed gum, another filled with cat fur. (Naturally, Jacob Rath could relate—AYB has more than one maker of cat fur jewelry!)
Participants took the theme in beautifully varied directions. Shellorne and Jazz created lockets holding revered places, Juliet referenced one worn by her grandmother, and many lovingly portrayed both animal companions and human loved ones. The forms themselves were inventive, with impressive renderings of gold and silver surfaces.
Shellorne Smith and Jazz Guillett, Lockets
Evelyn adds: “We started critique with brief context for each piece from the artist, then went into the usual comparisons, contrasts, and compliments. Cats and dogs were popular choices for the images within the locket (Abriel/Bob, Taylor, Roman, Meridith, and Lilo), and two participants chose to depict landscapes (Jazz and Shellorne).
Taylor Pope and Lilo Lewis, Lockets
Ajani depicted themself and their partner, and Simone decorated the outside with figs and plans to put in photos of her friends as a wedding gift. As a sample piece, I (Evelyn) recreated my oval locket from a children’s book, into which I glued cut-out photos of my maternal grandparents when I was a child.
Ajani Russell and Simone Awor, Lockets
Dylan and Delanny worked with their usual speed and pizzazz, with Dylan depicting a beloved stuffed animal and Delanny creating a self-portrait in her favorite colors.
Dylan and Dellany Gomez, Lockets
Ariel was one of the few to feature text, creating a version of her nameplate necklace that many agreed could be the start of a popular trend (nameplate lockets—we need a jeweler to collaborate with!). Juliet depicted herself and her daughters in the largest piece in the group, an oval-shaped locket that Shellorne compared to a clamshell with the faces as pearls.
Ariel Abdullah and Juliet Adams, Lockets
Roman received many compliments for the ghostly effect of his grayscale watercolor cat portraits, his first foray into watercolors in some time. Ajani complimented Abriel/Bob’s accurate rendition of the gaze of Abriel's dog, Bowie. The front covers of Simone’s piece (beautifully rendered figs) and Lilo’s piece (a four-leaf clover) received admiration, as well as Jacob’s depiction of subtly embossed silver.
Roman Boelk and Abriel (bob) Gardner, Lockets
I loved seeing the different directions in which participants took the prompt, as well as the delightful watercolor effects they achieved in so short a time. Many elected to take home works-in-progress, and I look forward to seeing how they continue to develop.”
These sculptural lockets (some still to be completed) will be presented together, hung from a paper chain, in our upcoming exhibition So Moved, opening at The Gallery at 180 Franklin Avenue on Saturday, May 16 from 6–8pm.
AYB co-founder and Managing Director Dennis Buonagura writes about ART YARD Art Matters at PS 17: “Over the past three weeks, Teaching Artist Evelyn Beliveau has spearheaded PS 17's Women's History Month project which culminated this week with a celebration in the school's auditorium. Evelyn and I (Dennis) went out to Jersey City on Tuesday to tie up some knots (paint touch up, cut out, assemble) the paper puppets of dozens of women worthy of honoring. We were assisted, at times, by Teaching Artists Nick Tardiff and Leo Emabat and greatly supporter by Simone Awor during an 'assembly line' process. Keep in mind that the students only get a 45 minute class once a week so we had to pitch in and help a bit by putting it all together.
On Wednesday (our usual teaching day at the school), we participated in the event as well as hosting classes for the younger grades. In lieu of their lessons, Evelyn, Simone and I met with 7th graders in the auditorium prior to their presentations to give them instructions on how to handle and operate their puppets, helped them with their speeches, and overall gave them moral support (as some were quite nervous - knowing they'd be speaking to other teachers, school administrators, and other students).
The 4th graders presented first and were excited - but all were terrific. Visitors to the event went up to each student and were offered important facts about each woman being applauded. Amongst them were Ruby Bridges, Harriet Tubman, Sonia Sotomayor, Lena Horne, Pocahontas, Yayoi Kusama, Alysa Liu, and Mother Teresa.
Use arrows to scroll through photos!
After their presentations, we returned to the art room to recap and reflect. We viewed some of their work and held "compare, contrast, compliment" critiques. Evelyn asked students to write their feelings of their participation, and what they learned and experienced, on paper:
Fady: I learned that Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist. I felt nervous then when people came I wasn't nervous.”
Sewar: “I was confident enough to represent my puppet to everyone. Even though people were making fun of me, that did not ruin me. I told the teacher and they handled it. My teacher made me feel better. I also did a great job with mine. I loved it very much. I am grateful enough to be in the class to do it. It was really fun. I did Harriet Tubman.”
Mia: “At first I felt nervous then I started to feel calm and I started to feel happy. The end.”
Keros: “I felt scared at first but then I got used to it. I learned that Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to serve in the Supreme Court. I felt good.”
Givielys: “I felt like I was famous because a lot of people were watching me. I learned that when you are painting, do not rush so your paint won't run out.”
I personally found their reflections charming - altho I was unhappy to hear that some of their school mates "made fun" of them. I asked for clarification and understood that it was just kids making jokes - but I also understood how OUR students (who worked really, really hard) might have been upset enough to write about it.
In between these two presentations (it ran from 9AM to 245PM), Evelyn and Simone worked with 1st and 2nd graders to complete the borders on their Women's History Month portraits (in colored pencil) while I traveled up and down from the auditorium to the art room (TOO MANY TIMES!).
Needless to say, it was a busy, productive, and art filled day.”
Dennis writes: "We welcomed incoming teaching artist, Jules Lorenzo, on Friday at PS 6, one of our partnership schools in Jersey City - to observe and assist, as part of our teacher training program.
1st, 3rd, and 5th graders worked diligently to complete their self portraits in connection with Teaching Artist Evelyn Beliveau's lesson inspired by artist Faith Ringgold. Many completed the portrait part of the project last week but this week added patterned borders - and some created additional patterned designs to be used to complete the giant "quilt" (similar to Ringgold's "Echoes of Harlem", 1980).
Student selfportrait paintings
With excellent encouragement and enthusiasm from Simone Awor and Jules, students started working within a minute of arriving in room 314 - they made the most of their limited time in class! Many completed their works and created additional patterned panels for inclusion in the project. Some opted to use colored pencils for their borders in lieu of watercolor paints - many smart moves made by students!
Lots of nice compliments for each other during critique and lots of great help (from the students!) with cleaning up."
Other Art News
AYB Artist Ed Rath took the stage this week at the Salina Art Center, Salina, Kansas with his talk Tell All the Truth But Tell It Slant: Reflections from a Professional Graphoanalyst, expanding on his decades-long practice analyzing handwriting through Graphoanalysis. Drawing from his collaboration with artist Ann Resnick, Ed walked audiences through how subtle variations in stroke, pressure, and form can reveal a surprising spectrum of personality traits—from emotional responsiveness to imagination and social tendencies. A striking grid of over 40 handwritten analysis samples anchored the presentation, alongside comparative insights between the Salina cohort and national norms.
Ed lectures at Salina Art Center. Photos by Karla Prickett.
AYB Artist/Kansas native Karla Prickett was there to document the moment, capturing Ed mid-talk and the surrounding exhibition.
