Today with great pride and much success we opened our Celebratory Centennial Exhibition at PS 6 in Jersey City.
Dennis arrived very early with a large bouquet of fresh flowers and the signage for the front lobby. I stopped through Eataly at World Trade on my way to the Path Train to get deluxe refreshments to add to the great spread provided by the school. Fatima and Quentin joined us in the ART YARD Gallery at PS 6 as the docents spent the morning on one last practice session.
Principal Joe Apruzzese and Assistant Principal Lauren Bernero joined us a few minutes before noon as we unveiled their portraits painted by Teaching Artist Fatima Traore in the style of Kehinde Wiley.
Then the steady stream of visitors began! Students, teachers, staff, parents, siblings, artists, friends, district leaders, and public officials were all in attendance.
Student docents were poised, well-spoken, welcoming, exuberant and quite entertaining!
Superintendent Walker was wowed to see his portrait (on left in photo below) amongst the stunning student artworks.
Mrs. Acevedo’s students gasped when they saw their beautiful mural paintings of historic and current views of PS 6 installed on the gallery walls.
After a very exciting day, the docents, Fatima, Dennis, Librarian Ms. Bracken and I took a much appreciated seat and enjoyed a delicious meal while we debriefed, reviewed and critiqued our work. Enjoying a piece of fresh focaccia and spicy cheese, Docent Jordan exclaimed: “This is our own ART YARD Thanksgiving!! We have a feast and we are all truly thankful for such a great program!”
Several of us stayed late as there were a few special VIP’s still to arrive including Raymond’s father and little brother, Shiven’s mother and Mayor Steven Fulop.
This was the perfect way to celebrate our fantastic collaboration with Jersey City’s PS 6.
Earlier in the week ART YARD Intern Vera Tineo and I attended an opening at The Lower East Side Printshop. A board member paid us a nice compliment saying that she could tell we are artists because of the care and enthusiasm with which we viewed and discussed the works on view.
In exhibitions of note: Kentler Gallery Director Florence Neal has a spectacular exhibition Fire and Water now open at Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn, Alabama.
I’ve installed my French Windows created for Appetit Bistro in Port Chester, NY.
Several NYC institutions are hosting bicentennial exhibitions commemorating Poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892). Particularly excellent is Bard of Democracy at the Morgan Library.
I am off to Rome for an Artist Residency and Dennis is headed to Milwaukee. You will hear from us in a few weeks, refreshed and raring to go for ART YARD Summer Session our intensive exploration of drawing for kids and teens.
A presto,
