Creating a Gallery at City-As-School

Our spring programs in NYC public schools aren’t just for elementary aged kids! CMA Artist Instructors Emma Waldman and JT Baldassarre worked with high school students at City-As-School in the West Village to curate, build, and exhibit their artworks on their very own gallery wall inside the school.

First, students headed a few blocks south to R & Company to view Sayar & Garibeh’s Broomlithic exhibition, which featured distinctive stone carvings that pay tribute to the simple, functional broom.

Back at City-As, students created 2D and 3D works that focused on how material juxtapositions can generate new meanings. In the spirit of Sayar & Garibeh’s artistic techniques, they molded, pinched, smoothed, and carved the clay to represent their ideas – some humorous, others abstract. 

They even took a page from R & Company’s comfortable and inviting exhibition design to build a seamless connection between the wall and table. 

Together, they came up with the exhibition title City-As: Incohesive. One student remarked that even though each work of art doesn't fit perfectly together, the exhibition represents their differences and individuality. 

It’s spring in New York City, which means CMA’s Artist Instructors are hard at work in public schools across the boroughs teaching fine arts and stop-motion animation to students who lack access to the arts otherwise. Learn how you can support these programs by donating to CMA’s Emergency Arts Education Fund.