10/5/23 Interviews "Exposure to art at early ages is key to developing the creative spirit." Artist Michele D'Ermo on creating color through fingerpainting and growing up next to the National Zoo. 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 Michele D'Ermo. Do you have a favorite memory of making art as a child? My favorite memory was fingerpainting and seeing how all colors were made when I would create a rainbow. It gave me an appreciation for the freedom of my hands to move paint around and create all the colors at the same time. What advice would you give to young artists who wish to pursue an art practice? Following your dream to create is paramount if you want to be an artist. Most of the time we make beautiful things as artists, but sometimes we reflect on what is difficult in the world as well. Art allows for the expression of emotions. Emotional expression is key to being an artist and this develops as we are exposed to visual ideas and other people's work. How does working with children inspire you? Children have an innocence to them that allows for a great deal of personal freedom. You often lose this as you get older and develop more inhibitions. Can you describe a formative experience visiting a museum or gallery? Exposure to art at early ages is key to developing the creative spirit. I grew up in Washington, DC near the National Zoo, so I was exposed to a lot of art from the national museums and the wild animals that I heard all night long on my porch. Being around art and nature helped form my creative energy. Now, I paint atmospheric seascapes and landscapes because I feel nature is the “art of the gods” as Dante famously stated. Michele D’Ermo Last Light oil on linen Bid Now NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now

12/19/23 Artists in Schools Postage Stamps and Cubist Self Portraits Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal's fifth grade class at Children's Workshop School. Click to expand media gallery. CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal introduced her students at Children's Workshop School to their first 2D project inspired by postage stamps from around the world. Students were intimidated at first by the multistep process, but they impressed themselves with their composition skills on a small surface! Next, students created Cubist self portraits. They are quickly gaining confidence in oil pastels, even reminding each other to wipe down the tips of their pastels before blending colors. Students discussed what they would miss most in 6th grade and they all insisted that they would miss art class the most. One student said: “This isn’t like any class we had before. We aren’t just drawing on paper, we are doing so much more.” Noormah’s work at Children’s Workshop School 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. Children’s Museum of the Arts’ three Residents Artists are currently implementing ambitious arts curriculum at each of our partner sites throughout New York City: Hudson Guild in Chelsea, Sid Miller Academy in Crown Heights, and Children’s Workshop School in the East Village. Come spring, our residents will showcase their students' work through exhibitions and installations across the city. Learn how you can support the work of our residents here . 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 11/23/21 Interviews Interviews Meet Artist in Residence Tati Nguyen “Treasure the relationship with your art, and nurture the creative impulse in yourself.” Interview by Heading 2 Heading 2 Heading 2 Heading 2 “Treasure the relationship with your art, and nurture the creative impulse in yourself." I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Next up in Interviews Meet Artist in Residence Ciana Malchione Meet Artist in Residence Ciana Malchione

Open Studio: Power of Hands: Hands Throughout Art History Free Community Artmaking Monday, November 27, 2023 3 PM to 5 PM Pier 57 Pier 57, 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP The Embrace (2023) by Hank Willis Thomas at the Boston Common Photo by Skanska, courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery Detail of Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, 1782, National Gallery, London, UK. Nelu Wolfensohn, The Power of Wildlife 1. Take power into your own hands! With works by Hank Willis Thomas, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, and Nelu Wolfensohn as our guide, artists will explore hands as symbols of creating, seeing, and instigating change. Together, kids will discuss their capability to impact the world and sculpt their own hands in action. About Open Studio 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 Led by CMA Artist Instructors Emma Waldman and JT Baldassarre , each session introduces children to the elements and principles of art while surveying artists across generations. 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. Image Credit: The Embrace (2023) by Hank Willis Thomas at the Boston Common. Photo by Skanska, courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery. 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. Donate Now

1/9/24 Interview Meet Artist in Residence Noormah Jamal Pakistani artist and educator Noormah Jamal on sculpting Polly Pockets as a child and incorporating acts of play into her work. Click to expand media gallery. Across the boroughs, CMA's three Artists in Residence are currently implementing ambitious arts curriculum at each of our partner sites throughout New York City: Hudson Guild in Chelsea, Sid Miller Academy in Crown Heights, and Children’s Workshop School in the East Village. Come spring, our residents will showcase their students' work through exhibitions and installations across the city. Below, meet Pakistani artist and educator Noormah Jamal , who works with fifth grade students at Children's Workshop School , a progressive public elementary school and leader in welcoming Asylum Seeking families to the East Village community. Noormah as a young artist Tell us about your art practice and how working with children inspires you. My practice primarily is about the personal baggage that people carry. It's about existence, marginalized existence, overlooked existence, neglected existence, non-mainstream existence — with all the joys and sorrows that are intertwined with existence. Children are incredibly honest and adventurous. I found that to avoid hesitation in creating or second guessing myself, I started approaching my practice through the lens of a 7-9 year old me and how she saw the world. The symbolism from my childhood. Incorporating acts of play while I create. Being a Teaching Artist keeps me inspired. It keeps me connected to that version of me. So I don't forget that way of experiencing and looking at the world. Masharaan, oil pastel on arches paper, 12 x 16 in Do you have any memorable experiences of children interacting with your artwork? I had an exhibition back home where I had made magnetized ceramic tiles like fridge magnets. It was an interactive installation where people could move the tiles and change the composition of the work. The adults in the space were hesitant, but everything changed when these two kids accompanying their parents started “playing.” They went on to narrate the tale they were illustrating by moving the tiles. I'll never forget the conversations I had with them. Now, with much of my 3D work I always think, “how would I play with them?” When did you first know you were going to be an artist? It's been pretty on and off. I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to pursue art as a career until I was 18. I flirted with the idea of being a vet, lawyer, or psychologist, but creating and making art was always a constant. Many called it a “hobby.” Being told that I should pursue something “stable” as my undergrad major made a switch go off in my head. I knew I wanted to pursue being an artist. Manzil Kareeb, acrylic on linen, 56 x 58 in In your words, what does it mean to be an artist? When you feel it's a “necessity” to create. What advice would you give to young artists who wish to pursue an art practice? Don't stop making and creating. Make work for yourself, not for what you think people want to see. Can you describe a fruitful childhood experience that influenced your practice? I didn't play “gentle” with my toys as a child. I remember having Polly Pocket sets with all the small dolls missing. The replacements weren't easy to find and were very expensive, and my mother had made it clear I would not get more. A lot of my early creation came from necessity or a “need,”' and I started making my own miniature Polly Pockets out of plasticine from the age of 7. I made close to 100 by the time I was ten. A lot of the androgynous faces I sculpt and the root of the 'sacred bust series' in my practice stems from those tiny figures I made all those years back. Sacred Series, acrylic on air dry clay Do you have a favorite memory of making art as a child? YES! Making giant cityscapes with cardboard and old cereal boxes. Why is it important to make art accessible to all children and families? Having a creative outlet is incredibly important. Art is a great medium for self expression. Through the years I feel there has been this notion of art being for a certain class, environment, or group of people. There should be no gatekeeping in art. There is so much good it can foster. Weeds of Cantonment, glazed ceramic, 9.1 x 3.7 in About Noormah Jamal Noormah Jamal is a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist originally from Pakistan. She earned her MFA in Painting and Drawing from Pratt Institute (2023) and holds a BFA in Mughal Miniature painting from The National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan. Her work centers around identity and the personal baggage that people carry. Heavy in symbolism, she approaches much of her practice through a child's lens. Support Noormah's work at Children's Workshop School by donating to CMA's Emergency Arts Education Fund , which provides free arts education to NYC schools that need it most. 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 1/27/24 Kids Art Celebrate Valentine’s Day with 9 Works from CMA’s Collection of Children’s Art Featuring Artworks from Sweden, India, and Russia NEXT IN

Open Studio: NYC Neighbors Free Community Artmaking Monday, May 13, 2024 3 PM to 5 PM Pier 57 Pier 57, 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP Image Credit: Hey Neighbor NYC, created by Kisha Bari and Jasmin Chang and supported in part by the Assembling Voices fellowship at INCITE at Columbia University. Newkirk Plaza, Flatbush, Brooklyn. New York City’s rich cultural heritage is reflected in its residents, whose diverse ethnicities, languages, and cultural traditions make our city the very best it can be. Children will look at Kisha Bari and Jasmin Chang ’s Hey Neighbor NYC installation in Flatbush, which showcases photographs and stories of community organizers and advocates from across the boroughs. Next, they’ll create a portrait of a community leader that they respect and admire. 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: Hey Neighbor NYC , created by Kisha Bari and Jasmin Chang and supported in part by the Assembling Voices fellowship at INCITE at Columbia University. Newkirk Plaza, Flatbush, Brooklyn. 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. Donate Now

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 6/25/23 Reflections Art & Pride: A Perfect Pair NEXT IN

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 10/5/23 Interviews "Art is about chewing on the question for as long as possible." Artist Adam Sultan on drawing leopards as a child and making art as a superpower. NEXT IN

5/23/24 Artists in Schools Making Musical Instruments at PS 69X Dispatches from CMA Artist Instructor Larkin Grimm's fourth and fifth grade class at PS 69X. Click to expand media gallery. Did you ever think you could make a fully functioning musical instrument? Our students at PS 69X in Castle Hill, Bronx had the absolute pleasure of learning from CMA Artist Instructor Larkin Grimm , who is not just a talented visual artist, but also a professional musician. Over the course of their 7-week fine arts intensive, fourth and fifth graders designed and built their own bongo drums. They're now ready to bring the musical entertainment to this weekend's Memorial Day celebrations! 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. NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now