Celebrating a Year of After School Arts Education at Hudson Guild

Children’s Museum of the Arts and Hudson Guild Gallery joined forces for Children's Art Triennial, a year-end exhibition showcasing artwork created by students aged 4-12 from Hudson Guild’s After School and Early Childhood programs.

Throughout the 2023-24 school year, these Pre-K through sixth graders participated in biweekly collaborative after school art classes led by CMA Artist in Residence Maria D. Rapicavoli.

Rapicavoli and her students explored the elements and principles of art, as well as mediums and techniques such as observational drawing, frottage, paper mache, collage, mosaics, abstract painting, air dry clay, and two- and three-dimensional sculpture.

Projects drew inspiration from artists across the ages, including mobile sculptures inspired by Alexander Calder, monochromatic self portraits inspired by Pablo Picasso, graffiti and street art inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, frottage inspired by Max Ernst, polychromatic sculptures inspired by Pipilotti Rist, and fabric collages inspired by Faith Ringgold.

By foregrounding artists of different cultural backgrounds and generations, students gained an expansive knowledge of art history and their place within it. 

By seeing their artwork hung in a professional gallery, students gain the recognition and support they deserve as artists, hopefully motivating them to pursue their interests in the arts. 

The exhibition will be on view from June 14 through July 26, 2024 at the Hudson Guild Gallery located at 441 West 26th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan.

Maria's work at Hudson Guild is supported by the Emergency Arts Education Fund, which provides free arts education to NYC school communities whose art programs have been decimated by recent budget cuts. Learn how you can support the work of our residents here.