10/5/23 Interviews "Be ready to listen to yourself and know yourself." Artist Paola Oxoa on returning to painting later in life and the Colombian museum that sparked her curiosity of art. Click to expand media gallery. Great artists make artists. And to prove that point, over 70 of today's greatest have contributed their work in support of Children's Museum of the Arts' Emergency Arts Education Fund , establishing utterly ambitious art programs in New York City schools that need them most. Bidding for the online auction concludes Thursday, October 19 at 12 PM EDT . Bid now. Bid often. Bid here. Below, meet auction artist Paola Oxoa . Paola as a young artist, 1982 Do you have a favorite memory of making art as a child? I remember relishing the freedom and energy that I experienced when making art as a child. What advice would you give to young artists who wish to pursue an art practice? Be ready to listen to yourself and know yourself. How does working with children inspire you? It reminds me to stay loose and funny. When did you first know you were going to be an artist? I didn't know that I would return to art as an adult over and over. I avoided being an artist many times and one way or another, the artmaking in me won't let me avoid it. I think deep inside I have always known that I would be a painter later in life...that time is approaching. Can you describe a formative experience visiting a museum or gallery? I visited El Museo de Oro in Bogota, Colombia when I was a kid. It gave me a sense of time I didn't have before. I also started forming ideas of the way art functions in society. Paola Oxoa Channel acryla-gouache on canvas over panel Bid Now NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now

2/29/24 Studio Visit In the Studio with Maria D. Rapicavoli CMA Resident Artist Maria D. Rapicavoli discusses her affinity for construction tools, her upbringing in Sicily, and sketching turtles. Click to expand media gallery. As part of CMA's Residency for Experimental Arts Education, Maria D. Rapicavoli leads an after school art class for elementary school students at Hudson Guild , one of the oldest community organization in NYC. Below, visit Maria in her studio and get a glimpse at her artistic process. On Dreams, Painting, and Her Grandmother’s House Maria: I'm a multimedia artist. I work with many different kinds of media, yet I only recently started working in painting. Pink has never been my color at all, but I had a dream that was pink, and I had to express it in this painting. I actually started painting after a month or two after I started the residency at CMA. My students at Hudson Guild were using a lot of paint and mixing colors, so that definitely inspired me. I have also been collecting a lot of square objects and materials. It all started a year and a half ago when I went back to Sicily and my grandmother's house. She lived near my childhood home, so I also grew up in her house. She passed away about 20 years ago, and they are just now renovating the house. They removed a lot of construction material from her house, including the wallpaper and kitchen tiles. These are the actual tiles from her house. I removed all of the tiles from her kitchen myself, then packed them up in a suitcase and traveled back to New York with them. I’m not yet sure what I want to do with them, but I definitely want to use them in my work somehow. I usually work in very traditional sculpting materials, like stones, alabaster, ceramics, and porcelain. When I came back to New York, I started having all these dreams about squares, so I just started collecting these samples of granite and different tiles. They’re not particularly useful because you can’t do much with one single tile. They exist to show what they might be for – the potential that they have. On Turtles Maria: I’ve been sketching turtles lately. There used to be a lot of turtles that lived in the area around my mom’s house in Sicily – we had those turtles for over 40 years. Recently, someone stole them, so it’s been a huge loss for us. Turtles are interesting animals because they’re not really pets, but they do recognize people. I used to film them a lot, especially when they were eating. My way of sketching is very sculptural. I actually sketch using my dremel. It’s more natural for me because I like to work with materials. Carving is also more permanent. I’m leaving a trace, but not by adding something, but by removing something from the stone. The trace is also white, which is the opposite of traditional sketching, when you’re using black marks on white paper. I use a lot of white stones, and I’m also drawn to ceramic and porcelain that is white. My dissertation at school was about the concept of white – its presence and absence. It's something I’m still investigating. It’s very much a part of me. CMA: Most people would hesitate to sketch or “think out loud” on something that feels so permanent. But when you sketch, it's a fully realized object. It's more self-contained than a sketch on paper, which is really just the implication of an idea. Once you carve your idea, it becomes a relic of a thought you had. Maria: It becomes real for me. I give shape to it. I also have been dreaming a lot about turtles. Even before they were stolen, they were part of my dreams – those specific turtles at my mother’s house. It’s a difficult process in a way because translating a dream into something visible is not easy at all. On Her Favorite Art Tools, Materials, and Her Father’s Influence CMA: Besides your dremel, what are your go-to tools that you use in the studio? Maria: Chisels, hammers …. I also carve by hand, and I use a sander often. I use a lot of traditional ceramic materials. My background is Italian, so I learned very traditional ceramic sculpture techniques at school. I actually used a dremel to carve this work on the wall. It represents a map of the Mediterranean Sea and all of the areas that people have to navigate. It also represents a battleground. My work deals with migration and the movement of people in the Mediterranean, so I wanted to combine these two aspects. My father worked in construction, and that's why I’m very familiar with construction materials. It’s the same reason why I made Crooked Incline using plumb lines. When I first started making the work, it’s not something I really recognized. After I was finished, I thought “Well of course I’m making this, because I grew up around construction tools.” In its essence, my work is about construction. This piece, for example, is a sample of a larger sculpture that I made during lockdown. I recreated a broken piece of glass that I found on the street. It’s about constructing, not destroying. It's about creating from something that is broken. That’s what all of my work is about … collecting a material that was about to be destroyed and making something with it. CMA: Going back to the abstract map of the Mediterranean Sea on your studio wall, do you also have a connection to water or more “invisible” elements? Maria: I often use water in my work. Water is an element of moving and transitioning, changing and passage. I’m drawn to the way that materials move and change over time. I grew up in the bottom of a volcano, literally – Mount Etna is the biggest volcano in Europe! I grew up seeing lava spewing … that’s why I’m so attached to materials and stones. The volcano is constantly evolving, its shape is always changing, and it erupts quite frequently. I’m used to the idea that things change all the time. We rebuild, something is destroyed, and we rebuild again. I also work a lot with the sky. The sky is another space that changes constantly. I have been thinking a lot about the militarization of the sky and of our airspaces … how it can be controlled, and how that changes how you feel. Sometimes you can really feel something is there, even if you can’t see it. On Her Perfect (Night) in the Studio and What’s On Her Bookshelf CMA: What does a perfect day in the studio look like for you? Maria: It’s actually a perfect night, because I work mainly at night! At night, I am able to sit down and focus. Sometimes I make things very quickly; other times, it takes me a long time to think. My process is research-based, so I start with reading books, writing down notes, sketching, then actually making the piece. The process of actually making work is much shorter than the process of researching, which takes the most time. CMA: What’s on your bookshelf? Maria: My recent work has been very personal. The last project was a film based on the story of a family member who was forced to migrate and leave her family. I did a lot of research into domestic violence. Simone de Beauvoir was inspiring for that project. Radicals of the Worst Sort is also a very interesting book. It’s about these women who moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts and took part in the Bread and Roses Strike. I have also become very interested in public housing because of my residency with CMA and placement at Hudson Guild. On Preserving Memories and Sleeping in Spaces CMA: I get the sense that you operate at two very different rates of speed. There’s a part of your practice that is slow, almost meditative or cerebral. Then, when you're actually making an artwork, it's much faster. Carving, for example, is such an immediate action. It also makes me consider your subject matter. You're preserving dreams, these lost turtles, parts of your grandmother’s house …. Do you see yourself as a preservationist? Maria: I do work a lot with preserving memories. The film that I mentioned earlier, The Other: A Familiar Story , is based on a family story that was passed from generation to generation. I try to take something personal to me and make it universal … something that other people can relate to. That’s also why I work a lot with Sicily, because it’s what I know and where I come from. CMA: So much of your practice is you occupying a specific space and noticing something about it. Your work doesn’t come from a book in your studio, necessarily, it’s something that you bring in. Maria: Exactly. With Crooked Incline for example, I initially planned to make a different project. However, when I make an installation in a space, I like to sleep for at least one night in the space. After sleeping overnight on the floor, I woke up and immediately noticed that something was off. When I asked the building managers about it, they told me that the building was actually tilted from a WWII bomb explosion. That was the moment that changed my project. The installation came out of actually being in space, seeing the material, and sleeping on that floor. Crooked Incline (2018) examines the militarization of our airspaces by illuminating the imperceivable tilt of an architectural structure rocked by a WWII-era bomb. During WWII, the Allied Forces dropped a bomb next to the building. The bomb didn't explode, but damaged the building and tilted it on one side. The perceivable incline creates a slight disorientation in people who enter the room. To represent it, Maria used 100 handmade white porcelain elements, shaped as plumb lines and suspended from the ceiling. The plummets, whose shape resembles that of the missiles, distort even more the perception of space, resulting in an accentuated experience of disorientation, limitation and anomaly for the visitors. Interview and photography by Kerry Santullo for Children's Museum of the Arts NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 7/28/23 Reflections Next-Gen Art: From Sneaker Design to Digitally Augmented Artworks NEXT IN

Courses Drawing Color 3DD Series Collection About Artists Info Museum Field Notes Where is fancy bred? In the heart or in the head? Or could it be that mind and matter each live on the condition of their otherness? Find out in this 3 part series. Materialist Magic & Its Discontents David Zwirner Transcendentalism INSTRUCTOR Simultaneous Contrast INSTRUCTOR Keep Your Course Title ≤ 40 Characters INSTRUCTOR

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 5/27/23 Kids Art Hit the Beach with 7 Coastal Scenes from CMA's Permanent Collection of Children's Art NEXT IN

Earth Day Printmaking Workshop with Ciana Malchione Free Community Artmaking Saturday, April 23, 2022 2 PM to 3 PM Art Strong 43-67 11th Street, Long Island City, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP Courtesy of Printmaking with Cardboard by ArtBar Blog This Earth Day, Children's Museum of the Arts Artist in Residence Ciana Malchione teams up with Queens-based children’s art organization Art Strong to lead an Earth Day Printmaking Workshop for kids ages 4-10. Children will make a series of collagraph prints thematically related to Earth Day. They will use recycled materials like cardboard, bubble wrap and string to make printing plates, considering nature and how we care for it when making their designs. Once the printing plates are finished, children will produce a series of prints using different colors and layers, reusing their designs just as they reused materials! This is a simple and fun process that can easily be repeated at home. 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. Donate Now

Open Studio: Forgotten Narratives: Photography as Archive Free Community Artmaking Monday, February 5, 2024 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM Pier 57 Pier 57, 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP Image Credit: Esiri Erheriene-Essi, The Keeper of Secrets, 2022 Frazier.jpg Rosângela Rennó, Wedding Landscape, gelatin silver negatives and acrylic, 1996 © Rosângela Rennó How can photography illuminate the people, places, and occupations that make a significant impact on our lives? Children will take inspiration from LaToya Ruby Frazier and Rosângela Rennó , who use photography to capture narratives of people in roles that are traditionally overlooked, and Esiri Erheriene-Essi , who uses photographic references to create paintings of memories at home and in the company of loved ones. After examining the work of these artists, children will paint or draw their own portrayals of life in their communities, including the caretakers, teachers, and bus drivers that support us everyday. About Open Studio Open Studio at Pier 57 invites children to explore hands-on projects across a wide range of artistic disciplines. Each session introduces children to the elements and principles of art while surveying artists across generations and continents. Specially designed for children on the Autism Spectrum but welcoming to all, each session is multisensory focused. Participants will explore art materials (such as clay, paper, or textiles) at their own pace alongside movement breaks and ample time for storytelling and social interaction. Open Studio is recommended for ages 12 & under. What To Expect This activity takes place in the Community Classrooms at Pier 57, located just beyond the food hall. The program’s curriculum is rooted in accessible artmaking practices and Children’s Museum of the Arts’ pedagogy of Look, Make, Share. Take a peek at one of our virtual Inclusives lessons, catered to children with Autism, that families can try at home: here ! Please be advised this is not a dropoff session. While caregivers are welcome to stay with their children, families are encouraged to enjoy the extraordinary setting of Pier 57 in the adjacent Family Living Room for the duration of the session. Caregivers are advised to remain on the premises while children are working. Image Credit: Esiri Erheriene-Essi, The Keeper of Secrets , 2022 Children's Museum of the Arts' Open Studio at Pier 57 is generously supported by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Google Community Grants Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, The Cowles Charitable Trust, and the Viniar Family Foundation. Additional support is provided, 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 is provided, 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. Donate Now

Open Studio: Subway Tile Mosaics [August 21] Free Community Artmaking Monday, August 21, 2023 3 PM to 5 PM Pier 57 Pier 57, 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP Create your own mosaics inspired by the world’s greatest metropolitan transportation system. We’ll take a look at some of our favorite subway artworks, like the tiled animals at the 81st Street-Museum of Natural History station, then create our own. Kids will practice a new form of multimedia art and walk away with a renewed appreciation for public murals. About Open Studio at Pier 57 Taking place Mondays and Thursdays, Open Studio at Pier 57 invites children to explore hands-on projects across a wide range of artistic disciplines. Specially designed for children on the Autism Spectrum but welcoming to all, each Inclusives session is multisensory focused. Participants will explore art materials (such as clay, paper, or textiles) at their own pace alongside movement breaks and ample time for storytelling and social interaction. What To Expect Sessions are led by CMA Artist Instructors Emma Waldman and JT Baldassarre and are inspired by historic and contemporary New York City art and artists. The program’s curriculum is rooted in accessible artmaking practices and Children’s Museum of the Arts’ pedagogy of Look, Make, Share. Take a peek at one of our virtual Inclusives lessons, catered to children with Autism, that families can try at home: here ! While caregivers are welcome to stay with their children, families are encouraged to enjoy the extraordinary setting of Pier 57 in the adjacent Family Living Room for the duration of the session. Children's Museum of the Arts' Open Studio at Pier 57 is generously supported by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, First Republic Bank, The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Google Community Grants Fund, Amazon, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hammitt, and the Viniar Family Foundation. Donate Now

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 12/22/23 Artists in Schools Noormah's Reflections: December CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal on her December projects at Children's Workshop School. NEXT IN

Open Studio: Food Sculptures Inspired by Market 57 Free Community Artmaking Thursday, September 28, 2023 3 PM to 5 PM Pier 57 Pier 57, 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP Market 57 Let’s go on a food-inspired adventure! Artists (and emerging food critics) will explore neighboring Market 57’s bustling food hall and select their favorite food discoveries. Next, they’ll recreate them using clay and mixed-media materials. Get hands-on with art and flavor in this exciting culinary journey. About Open Studio at Pier 57 Taking place Mondays and Thursdays, Open Studio at Pier 57 invites children to explore hands-on projects across a wide range of artistic disciplines. Specially designed for children on the Autism Spectrum but welcoming to all, each Inclusives session is multisensory focused. Participants will explore art materials (such as clay, paper, or textiles) at their own pace alongside movement breaks and ample time for storytelling and social interaction. What To Expect Sessions are led by CMA Artist Instructors Emma Waldman and JT Baldassarre and are inspired by historic and contemporary New York City art and artists. The program’s curriculum is rooted in accessible artmaking practices and Children’s Museum of the Arts’ pedagogy of Look, Make, Share. Take a peek at one of our virtual Inclusives lessons, catered to children with Autism, that families can try at home: here ! While caregivers are welcome to stay with their children, families are encouraged to enjoy the extraordinary setting of Pier 57 in the adjacent Family Living Room for the duration of the session. Children's Museum of the Arts' Open Studio at Pier 57 is generously supported by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, First Republic Bank, The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Google Community Grants Fund, Amazon, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, The Cowles Charitable Trust, Hammitt, and the Viniar Family Foundation. Donate Now