Emergency Exhibition:
New Training for Future Artists
and Art Lovers

Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers brings together artwork by students aged Pre-K to 5th grade from Children’s Museum of the Arts’ three Emergency Arts Education Fund partner organizations across New York City: 1) Hudson Guild in Chelsea, Manhattan; 2) P396K Sid Miller Academy in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; and 3) Children’s Workshop School in East Village, Manhattan.

Although these three organizations are separated by geography, they have one thing in common — they have all lost arts funding as a result of citywide budget cuts. The works in this exhibition demonstrate the breadth of the experimental arts curriculum crafted and implemented by each of CMA’s Artists in Residence: Maria D. Rapicavoli at Hudson Guild; Niousha Kiarashi at P396K Sid Miller Academy, and Noormah Jamal at Children’s Workshop School. These three approaches vary in style, but are united in their goal to provide deeply ambitious free arts education to students who need it most.

The exhibition borrows its title from Mark Rothko’s 1934 essay New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers, which encourages artists to approach their craft from the perspective of a child. For Rothko, the function of the instructor is to inspire confidence rather than impose overbearing guidelines. In this spirit, Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers affirms the diversity of student learning profiles through a year of inclusive art instruction and joyful co-creation.

Hudson Guild

Chelsea, Manhattan

Paris, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Paper Collage

Materials: colored construction paper

"Inspired by street artists Alber, Phillip Sauders, and Paola Tacchini’s embroidery, students learned how to create value with color combinations. Willow made her self-portrait by cutting and combining small pieces of colored construction paper."

Alyssa, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Monochromatic Self Portraits

Materials: acrylic paint

"Focusing on Picasso's Blue Period, students explored monochromatic colors and how to express their feelings through art. I encouraged the kids to think of a time when they were sad and transfer those emotions into their painting. Because Picasso often used the color blue to express sadness, Alyssa felt inspired to make this terrific self-portrait."

Dmari, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Frottage Collage

Materials: paper, crayons, found flat objects, scissors, glue

"Students were introduced to Max Ernst and the art of frottage. They experimented with the frottage technique, which consisted of placing a sheet of paper on top of a flat object and gently rubbing the paper with a pencil or crayon to pick up the texture of the object. Students were fascinated by the surrealist nature of Ernst's work because they found it absurd and new. Dmari found great inspiration in Ernst's drawing 'The Fugitive' and depicted a fictional animal that was a mix of a wolf, a porcupine, and an eagle."

Delvis, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Graffiti and Street Art

Materials: oil pastels

"During this lesson, students were introduced to the art of fellow New Yorker Jean-Michel Basquiat. We discussed how art allows us to express our personal feelings and ideas and to 'say out loud' things we don't like or want to change. For this assignment, students took a cue from graffiti and street art to draw their names or initials using oil pastels. Kids loved working with oil pastels because they are softer than crayons, can be blended, layered, and mixed, and are very bright."

Gia, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Mosaic Tiles

Materials: mosaic tiles, glue, paper, cardboard, grout

"This lesson introduced students to the mosaic technique and how it has been employed throughout art history. In the initial phase, they drew inspiration from the paintings of Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam's 'From a Model to a Rainbow' mosaic in Washington, DC, as well as ancient Roman mosaics in my hometown of Catania, Sicily. During the first part of the assignment, students drew geometric shapes and figures on white paper. Afterwards, I provided them with small colored tiles and glue and asked them to fill in their drawing using the tiles. The final step of the project consisted in adding grouting.

This step-by-step process demanded both time and patience, but students were extremely satisfied with making a work that is more permanent and durable than a drawing. They used grout to fill in the gaps between the small tiles, which gave them a chance to experiment with new materials, work on their composition skills, and improve their attention to detail."

Valentine, 4th–5th Grade

Title: "Head With Crown"

Project: Paper Mache

Materials: magazine paper, glue, water, metal, wood

"Students were introduced to the ancient technique of paper mache. With the help of aluminum foil, they first created a rough shape for their project. Next, students used metal wire, wood, tape, and glue to build a defined structure for the wet paper to adhere to. The following day, they covered their structures with layers of newspaper strips dipped in a paste made of glue and water. They smoothed down the strips by overlapping them to ensure adequate coverage and structural strength. Once dry, students used acrylic paint to cover their structures and acrylic markers for fine detail.

Valentine ambitiously depicted a face with a crown using the paper mache technique. He remembered Basquiat’s signature crown from a lesson back in December and wanted to recreate it."

Kiari, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Mobile Sculptures Inspired by Alexander Calder

Materials: cardboard, metal, glue, metallic paper, colored foam

"‘Drawing in the air’ was the title of my class inspired by Alexander Calder. After looking at Calder's abstract mobile sculptures, students experimented with balance, equilibrium, and lightness to create a mobile sculpture that moves with the wind. By cutting metallic paper, cardboard, and metal wire, they created their own works of kinetic art."

Avery, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Inspired by Pipilotti Rist

Materials: cardboard, acrylic paint, glue, metallic paint, various ready made materials

"Following the class trip to Pipilotti Rist’s exhibition at Hauser and Wirth Gallery, students set out to create their own works inspired by the Swiss artist. During the gallery visit, students were captivated by the vibrant array of materials and colorful, diverse media. In response, students incorporated glitter and shiny paper into their artworks to capture the viewer’s eye. Avery, in particular, crafted impressive and strikingly realistic fruit stands."

Kairi, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Clay Sculpture

Materials: air dry clay, acrylic paint

"Students created air-dry clay pottery using hand-building techniques. They even kneaded their own clay using rolling pins! They started out by creating basic clay forms like pinch pots and slab-built vessels, then experimented with different techniques to add textures and patterns to their form. Afterwards, they learned how to join clay pieces securely using water as a slip. Kairi created a volcano and named it 'Mount Kairi' after himself. He then painted his sculpture using colorful acrylics."

Kendon, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Inspired by Faith Ringgold

Materials: fabric, glue, acrylic markers

"This lesson was inspired by Faith Ringgold's captivating 'Street Story' quilt. I asked students to recreate the facades of their own buildings as viewed from the street. I gave them different colored pieces of fabric, along with glue and scissors, and encouraged them to unleash their creativity to the fullest extent."

Elian, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Speed Self Portraits

Materials: charcoal, blending stump

"This is an example of a speed self-portrait with charcoal. Students explored tri-dimensionality by depicting human faces with curves and straight lines using charcoal and blending stumps."

Yesilee, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Inspired by Pipilotti Rist

Materials: cardboard, acrylic paint, glue, metallic paint, various ready made materials

Dmari, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Monochromatic Self Portraits

Materials: acrylic paint

August, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Paper Mache

Materials: magazine paper, glue, water, metal, wood

Yesilee, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Clay Sculpture

Materials: air dry clay, acrylic paint

Yesilee, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Achromatic Colors Landscape

Materials: charcoal, pencils, graphite

Yesilee, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Inspired by Pipilotti Rist

Materials: cardboard, acrylic paint, glue, metallic paint, various ready made materials

Serenity, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Perspective

Materials: pencil

Shannon, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Mobile Sculpture Inspired by Alexander Calder

Materials: cardboard, metal

Yesilee, 2nd–3rd Grade

Project: Graffiti and Street Art

Materials: pastels, crayons, acrylic markers, googly eyes

Tylie, 4th–5th Grade

Project: What Do You Want to Get Rid Of?

Materials: pencil, acrylic paint

Tylie, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Paper Collage

Materials: colored construction paper, glue

Serenity, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Inspired by Faith Ringgold

Materials: fabric, glue, magazine paper

Serenity, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Inspired by Steffani Jemison

Materials: oil pastels

Quadis, 4th–5th Grade

Project: Dada Collage

Materials: old newspapers, magazines, glue

Children's Workshop School

East Village, Manhattan

Soren, 5th Grade

Project: Tint and Shade

Materials: tempera paint, q-tips, sponges

"Tints and shades are very important when learning color theory. Soren's main color selection was red, and he had the last five minutes of the assignment to select which section would have the contrast / highlighted color. I feel his composition and color selections are very clever."

Odin, 5th Grade

Project: Cubist Self Portraits

Materials: oil pastels

"This was their first introduction to oil pastels. Students took inspiration from Picasso's cubist portraits to make one of their own. Odin did a brilliant job of experimenting with form in his portrait. He was focused on corners and angles."

Angel, 5th Grade

Project: Cubist Self Portraits

Materials: oil pastels

"Angel's portrait has great likeness to his own appearance. He does an excellent job of blending and using the oil pastels. He loves the opaque nature of pastels vs. crayons, a medium that he's very used to using."

Lucy, 5th Grade

Project: Fall Foliage Watercolors

Materials: watercolors

"This assignment was the students' first introduction to watercolor and wet on wet technique. Lucy exhibited great control over the medium and took inspiration from old stained glass paintings while making her fall leaves."

Alina, 5th Grade

Project: Stick Figure Sculptures

Materials: styrofoam ball, popsicle stick, glue, foam sheets, staple pins, markers

"Alina's work for this project inspired half her classmates! Her ability to make the most of the materials provided in astounding. She was very much aware of every angle when making a 3D work."

Siqima, 5th Grade

Project: Fruit Pointillism

Materials: tempera paint, q-tips, sponges

"Siqima is a true artist. He has the innate ability to pick up any new medium and excels at it instantly. He also has a very observant eye. He is always aware of shadows and highlights and excels at the use of color."

Vivian, 5th Grade

Title: Strawberry of Artistic Imagination

Project: Fruit Pointillism

Materials: tempera paint, q-tips, sponges

"This work shows the level of precision and patience of the young artist — a single strawberry, incredibly well composed, with a blue contrast border around it. Vivian was very consistent with her skill and technique."

Linus, 5th Grade

Title: Strawberry of Artistic Imagination

Project: Fruit Pointillism

Materials: tempera paint, q-tips, sponges

"Linus used q-tips and sponges to blend and achieve the final outcome. Composition for incredibly important for him. 'Fruit bowls are pretty big in old paintings,' he said."

Jeicob, 5th Grade

Title: Ragnar's Journey

Project: Collage

Materials: collage

"Jeicob's approach and focus was centered on narrative building, which he achieved very well. Two scenes play out within the same frame, which he was very pleased with."

Bianca, 5th Grade

Title: Girl Eating an Apple

Project: Collage

Materials: collage

"For the collage assignment, students look at the works of Hannah Hoch and Pakistani artist Rashid Rana. Bianca was one of the few students who employed collage in a different way by making her own self portrait."

Veda, 5th Grade

Project: Inspired by Roy Lichtenstein

Materials: graphite, colored pencils and acrylic on paper

Valentino, 5th Grade

Project: Drawing with Charcoal

Materials: charcoal on paper

Shaila, 5th Grade

Project: Mixed Composition from Books

Materials: colored pencils

Savita, 5th Grade

Project: Personal Movie Posters

Materials: watercolor on watercolor paper

Sage, 5th Grade

Project: Inspired by Kara Walker

Materials: pencil and black crayon

Rafael, 5th Grade

Project: Introduction to Drawing

Materials: colored pencils on paper

Pablo, 5th Grade

Project: Inspired by Kara Walker

Materials: graphite and black crayon on paper

Oni, 5th Grade

Project: Curious Creatures

Materials: oil pastels on paper

Oakley, 5th Grade

Project: Collage

Materials: paper / magazine cut outs and glue on paper

Micah, 5th Grade

Project: Tint and Shade

Materials: black, white, and blue tempera paint on watercolor paper

Mick, 5th Grade

Project: Personal Movie Posters

Materials: watercolor and oil pastel on watercolor paper

Mackenzie, 5th Grade

Project: Music & Abstract Art

Materials: crayons on paper

Nicolette, 5th Grade

Project: Personal Movie Posters

Materials: graphite and watercolor on watercolor paper

Luna, 5th Grade

Project: Inspired by Kara Walker

Materials: graphite and black crayon

Leah, 5th Grade

Project: Nick Cave Masks

Materials: buttons, glass, foam paper, feather on cardstock mask

P396K Sid Miller Academy

Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Sarah, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Painting with Straws

Materials: eye dropper, paint, water, straw on cardboard

"After learning the fundamentals of artmaking, students learned alternative painting methods, such as using eye droppers and blowing paint through a straw."

Cereianna, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Scale and Space

Materials: paint, paintbrush, cardboard, marker

"Students were given three different cardboard squares and asked to paint the same object at different scales. This assignment allowed them to understand space and discover size and scale."

Gabriel, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Felt Collage

Materials: felt, glue sticks, paper

"Students were introduced to yet another sensory material that is pleasant to the touch – felt. They created an imaginary landscape out of different colors and shapes."

Zidan, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: 2D Sensory Characters

Materials: felt, scissors, glue sticks, cardboard

"Students used felt to create a character either based on themselves or completely imaginary."

Jannele, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Paper Bag Puppets

Materials: paper bag, feathers, sequins, googly eyes, construction paper, foam shapes, pompoms

"Puppet making was one of students' favorite art projects. They used multisensory materials such as sequins, feathers, pompoms, and googly eyes to decorate their paper bag puppets. Each student imagined their own characters while they were making their puppets."

Jayden, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Portrait Collage

Materials: paper cutouts, glue, construction paper, felt

"Students were given a picture of themselves and paper cutouts of facial features. They collaged their face with other images to create an entirely new self portrait."

Jace, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Abstract Sculptures

Materials: sponge, pipe cleaners, beads

"The goal of this project was to create abstract compositions using limited materials and use sculpture to define their personal ideas."

Bryson, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Exploring Sculpture Through Play

Materials: play doh, paper plate

"Air dry clay is challenging for students with sensory impairments due to its messiness, but play dough is a great alternative. Students loved squeezing the play dough in their hands and noticing the different textures and sensations. During this assignment, students explored the world of sculpture by freely creating shapes."

Jackson, Pre K–2nd Grade

Analise, Pre K–2nd Grade

Project: Expandable Puppets

Materials: paper, construction paper, scissors, glue, markers

"Students enjoyed yet another puppetry assignment, simplified for students with special needs and using only paper, markers, and construction paper. They created expandable hand puppets with flexible mouths, which allowed each student to create unique visual characteristics for their puppet."

Look Make Show :

Arts Education Resources

Children's Museum of the Arts' free digital art resources provide educators with accessible arts education lessons that can be recreated in communities anywhere in the world using affordable materials. These child-centered resources are specifically aimed at those who have limited touchpoints to arts education, offering a blueprint for schools to revitalize or launch an arts education program – 100% free.

Abstract Art
using color and free drawing
View & Download

Cubist Self Portraits
a portrait from many perspectives
View & Download

Pointillism
using dots, layering, and fruit
View & Download

Collage & Photomontage
intro to Dada and surrealism
View & Download

Artists in Residence.

Maria D. Rapicavoli

CMA Artist in Residence 2023-24

Hudson Guild

Chelsea, Manhattan

Studio Tour & Classroom Visit

Niousha Kiarashi

CMA Artist in Residence 2023-24

Sid Miller Academy

Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Studio Tour & Classroom Visit

Read Niousha's Zine

Noormah Jamal

CMA Artist in Residence 2023-24

Children's Workshop School

East Village, Manhattan

Studio Tour & Classroom Visit

Explore Noormah's Artist Prompts

About Children's Museum of the Arts

Children's Museum of the Arts (CMA) is on a mission to unite children and artists to create and share ambitious works of art with their communities and the world. Since 1988, CMA has crafted innovative programs that change the way New Yorkers value its youngest artists and their aesthetic contributions. Our programs are 100% free and designed to inspire cultural change — by publicly celebrating what's possible when you give children the materials, access, and encouragement they deserve to be recognized and appreciated as real artists.

View exclusive exhibition content, including educator reflections, studio tours, and classroom visits on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts & culture app.

Download on iPhone and Android

Programs at Children's Museum of the Arts are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support for this program is provided by Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and Wilhelm Family Foundation.

Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers

Look Make Show :

Arts Education Resources

Abstract Art using color and free drawing View & Download

Cubist Self Portraits a portrait from many perspectives View & Download

Pointillism using dots, layering, and fruit View & Download

Collage & Photomontage intro to Dada and surrealism View & Download

About Children's Museum of the Arts

Emergency Exhibition:
New Training for Future Artists
and Art Lovers

Abstract Art
using color and free drawing
View & Download

Cubist Self Portraits
a portrait from many perspectives
View & Download

Pointillism
using dots, layering, and fruit
View & Download

Collage & Photomontage
intro to Dada and surrealism
View & Download