Tomashi Jackson Artist & Educator Tomashi Jackson (b. 1980, Houston, Texas) grew up in Los Angeles, California. She was included in the Whitney Biennial 2019 and has presented solo exhibitions at institutions including the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and the Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw, Georgia. Her work has also been included in group exhibitions at MoCA Los Angeles; MASS MoCA; the Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans; and the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University. Jackson was a 2019 Resident Artist at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture. Her work is included in the collection of MOCA Los Angeles and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston; and Cooper Union, NY, and she has been a visiting artist at New York University. In 2021, Jackson presented solo exhibitions at the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University and at the Parrish Art Museum of Art. Jackson lives and works in Cambridge, Massachusetts and New York City. Donate Now Since 1988

5/29/24 Classroom Visits In the Classroom with Noormah Jamal CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal discusses building trust with her students, finding the perfect assignment, and the art lesson that blew her away. Click to expand media gallery. As part of CMA's Residency for Experimental Arts Education, Noormah Jamal teaches art to fifth graders twice weekly at Children's Workshop School , a progressive public elementary school in NYC's East Village. Below, visit Noormah in her classroom and get a glimpse at her students' artworks. On Happy Accidents in the Classroom. When kids make artwork, they’re not scared. They don’t hesitate; they jump right in. That really inspires me. Sometimes it’s a good thing when kids don’t entirely listen to my instructions – the accidents or deviations that happen along the way make the final work all the more interesting. Children learn a lot when they experiment. That pushes me in my own artmaking, as well. Every now and again, kids will struggle with certain assignments, but the perfect assignment always comes along. They will completely surpass my expectations. As an educator, that’s the most exciting thing that can happen in a classroom. On Earning Trust Among Students. When working with young children, you really need to earn their trust. Time is the most important thing to have with them. The more you get to know them, the more you can engage their individual interests. I have a student in one of my classes who has behavioral issues. In the beginning, he wouldn’t engage at all. Recently, I overheard him talking about Naruto. I loved Naruto growing up, so I know all the characters. Once I started talking about those characters, and he was like, “Wait, you know this world?” When we started the zine assignment , I encouraged him to imagine a Naruto character interacting with another student’s Addams Family character, and merge those worlds together. That was only possible because I was with him long enough to know the universe he was interested in, and that’s what got him to engage. Because I've worked with my students for so long, I know how to “get” to them. When I introduce an assignment, I already know who's going to engage and who is not going to be as interested in the lesson. For those students, I’ll edit the lesson as I go. I’m only able to do that because I know them so well. "the Empire State Building becoming a monster” On Watercolors. The wet on wet watercolor lesson was my absolute favorite. I was shocked by the quality of work that students were producing. We practiced painting in previous lessons, and many were struggling to hold the brush and maintain consistent amounts of water. I demonstrated the wet on wet technique once, turned around to arrange some art materials, and by the time I turned back around, they had completely mastered it. I was floored by their level of control and observation of color. Some were even color mixing directly on the palette. On Her Students Becoming Artists. Sometimes students will rework my assignments into something even better. During the animal cloud lesson , one student sandwiched extra pillow fluff between two foam sheets to create her own stuffed animal character. That inspired seven other students to create their own pillow characters as well. It’s amazing to see them being inspired by each other! I have a handful of students that I seriously hope will become artists. It would be a real shame if they didn’t. For the others, it’s just about practice and sticking with it but they clearly have other interests or life goals. They’re at a tricky age where they’re deciding whether they’re good at something or not. That's why I enjoy having different art practitioners visit the classroom. It’s helpful for the kids to see that they don’t have to necessarily be a painter or a sculptor to be an artist. With the zine assignment , I told my students about comics, animations, mood boards, frame-by-frame drawing … There are many different paths in artmaking, yet these fields are interconnected. There are many, many ways to be an artist. cardboard baby with moveable arms and legs On Her Fellow Educators. The other teachers at Children’s Workshop School are so creative. They're used to not having an arts program, so they incorporate art in their everyday lessons. For example, the postage stamp assignment came from a lesson in their social studies class. Each student has a board outside their classroom, and sometimes I’ll notice assignments or techniques from our art class on the boards. After we did the one-point perspective assignment , I saw my students’ drawings on their boards for weeks afterwards. When we studied gradients and color repetition, I knew which students completed which drawings without looking at the names. I get really excited when I can recognize how a students’ hand moves. Somedays I get to school early and spend time looking at the boards. 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

Ana Yunes–Leshen Donate Now Since 1988

10/5/23 Interviews "Make space for your art, and time to be alone." Artist Trudy Benson making her first abstract composition at age 10. 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 Trudy Benson . Trudy (lower right) making art with her brother, mother, and mother's friend Do you have a favorite memory of making art as a child? I went with my dad to work for Take Your Daughter to Work Day around age 10 or 11. Before he retired, my dad was a computer programmer, so I got to sit at his desk and use his computer for part of the day. I made some drawings using MacPaint, and then used his work printer to print them. I was obsessed with the black and white toolbar. Maybe this was the first time I consciously made abstract compositions! What advice would you give to young artists who wish to pursue an art practice? Always be making something. Make space for your art, and time to be alone. How does working with children inspire you? Children are truly the best artists. My 6 year old niece and I recently collaborated on a small painting together, and she is truly fearless. She reminded me not to be afraid to take risks. When did you first know you were going to be an artist? I think I was around 8, though it could have been younger. I feel like I *always* knew. Can you describe a formative experience visiting a museum or gallery? My mom took me to Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University, which was being used for a contemporary sculpture installation. I have no idea who the artist was, but there was a set of yellow raincoats hung from cartoonish hooks (or so I recall), and I was a bit disturbed by it. In another room was a wall installation of candid polaroids. I was pretty young and I remember thinking that art could be anything. Trudy Benson Olio acrylic and oil on canvas Bid Now NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now

Open Studio: My Own Universe Free Community Artmaking Monday, March 11, 2024 3 PM to 5 PM Pier 57 Pier 57, 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP Elisabeth Deane, Ripples, fine liner and lapis lazuli on handmade Indian hemp paper, 2017 Yosra Emamizadeh, Connections I, mixed media Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, 2013. Photo by Egor Slizyak © Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow. Art and science work together to help us understand our world and our relationship to it. Artists like Yayoi Kusama create immersive experiences that illustrate the vastness of the universe, while other artists like Yorsa Emamizadeh and Elisabeth Deane use ancient geometric patterns to show the connection between the cosmos. Based on these interpretations, children will paint their own depictions of the universe using a special combination of water, pigment, and salt. 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: Elisabeth Deane, Ripples , fine liner and lapis lazuli on handmade Indian hemp paper, 2017 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

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Open Studio [May 15] Free Community Artmaking Monday, May 15, 2023 3 PM to 5 PM Pier 57 Pier 57, 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA Media Inquiries: adam@culturalcounsel.com RSVP 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 session explores a new art material (such as clay, paper, or textiles) along with movement breaks and ample time for storytelling and social interaction. What To Expect Specialized sessions offer hands-on arts engagement and are led by CMA Artist Instructor Emma Waldman . Each session includes artmaking, storytelling, and plenty of interactive communication and fun. Children will have ample time to express their ideas and explore their creativity through multisensory-focused projects and materials. 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

7/19/23 Reflections Rendering Urban Landscapes in Chalk Click to expand media gallery. Over two Wednesdays in July, CMA Artist in Residence ingrid romero piloted a landscape chalk drawing project inspired by the urban parks’ potential to inspire change, build communities, and serve as a refuge from city life (sweltering summer temps included!) Bravo to everyone who braved the summer showers to make art in the park —especially this young artist who came prepared with the world’s cutest umbrella. We’re grateful to our loyal partners at Hudson Square Business Improvement District for allowing us to bring experimental artmaking to parks and green spaces throughout the neighborhood. NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now