See More Children's Museum of the Arts 2/5/24 Artists in Schools Animal Cloud Sculptures Part II: Plaster Gauze Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal's fifth grade class at Children's Workshop School. NEXT IN

5/20/24 Reflections Reflecting on 100 Classes of Open Studio CMA Lead Teaching Artist Emma Waldman reflects on a year of free art classes at Pier 57. Click to expand media gallery. We have hosted over 100 Open Studio classes so far! As a community, we have created art projects using materials ranging from clay creations to puppetry, to architecture to collage, to drawing and painting. I am so fortunate to have had a hand in supporting and encouraging each student’s creative process. Over the past year, I have proudly watched students completely develop their artistic voice and tap into their imaginations through material discovery. My students come into class asking What is the project today? and ready to ‘shop’ for materials that will fit their artistic intent. After every class, students leave proud to share their creation with me, but also their classmates and adults, often exclaiming: Look what I made! While clay is hands-down the most popular material for my students (and their caregivers), new materials such as wire, yarn, fabric, felt, and wax sticks really sparked their interests and challenged them to build and design projects featuring varying textures and materials. I have watched as my students come to class to create 2D works of art, and, over time, begin to use their new technical skills and understanding of materials to build more ambitious 3D projects and sculptural works. The theme and the artist(s) inspiration is the same for every participant, however, each student creates a completely different work of art, which is without a doubt my absolute favorite part of the class. I can see how students express their individuality and own voice using material and marks. Some of my favorite classes thus far have been where students use their own experiences, interests, and personalities inspired by historical and contemporary artists: My Own Universe, The Unexpected: Surrealism and the Imagination, Storied Portraits, Reimagined Cities, Family in Art, Memory, Mirror Reflection, Inkblot Paintings, and What is Outside My Window, just to name a few. Lastly, these Open Studio classes have inspired and promoted the importance of art and the creative process for young children, but also the importance of community, collaboration, and having fun. Because of the format, my students, and their adults, are able to share and develop ideas with one another as well as make new friends in the process. I want to thank my Open Studio community for supporting each class and sharing your excitement and interest with others. Each and every one of you continues to inspire me as an artist and an educator! —Emma Waldman CMA Lead Artist Instructor 2024 NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now

5/9/24 Artists in Schools Viewing Selections from the Whitney's Collection CMA Resident Artist Maria D. Rapicavoli visited the Whitney Museum with her fourth and fifth graders from Hudson Guild. Click to expand media gallery. We are grateful to the Whitney Museum of American Art for welcoming our students from Hudson Guild not once, but twice this past week! First, Whitney docent Gay Young guided our fourth and fifth graders through Harold Cohen 's AARON exhibit, which traces the evolution of the earliest artificial intelligence program for artmaking. Even for these digital natives, the complexities of the computer generated images amazed them and they remarked that they could watch the garden images forever. Of course, there's nothing like soaking in the view from the Whitney's eighth floor. Later in the week, students returned to view selections from the Whitney's collection, including Edward Hopper' s famed Early Sunday Morning . Students were drawn to Alexander Calder 's Circus and Elizabeth Catlett 's Head (again, that view!) Next, they visited the Biennial where they sketched their own interpretations of ektor garcia 's sculptures and remarked on the interconnectedness of the natural world and our memories. The tour concluded with a visit to the terrace where students once again marvelled at Kiyan Williams ' Ruins of Empire II or The Earth Swallows the Master's House. Although you are not allowed to touch the sculpture, students were amazed that you are allowed to walk on the dirt. They remarked on how the uneven terrain added to the sculpture's sense of uneasiness and malaise. Three cheers to our wonderful Whitney docents who made these visits possible! 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. 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

2/23/24 Reflections Friendly Fish, Lion Dancing, and Dumpling Demonstrations Dispatches from Lunar New Year artmaking celebration at Pier 57. Click to expand media gallery. Children astounded us with their creativity as they crafted découpaged paper lanterns during Pier 57 ’s Lunar New Year celebration last Sunday! It was a true delight to watch children develop ideas and problem solve with adults as they created their own lantern designs, including a friendly fish complete with a tissue paper tail. One young artist worked with her father to create lanterns that matched theme of where she wanted to hang it. For the lantern by the window, she added tissue paper to represent nature and plants. Older children especially enjoyed the sense of independence and creative ownership as they experimented with different methods of attaching the dowel and string to their lantern. Other highlights from the afternoon included food demonstrations by Nom Wah and Local Roots and lion dancing by New York Choy Lay Fut . CMA Artist Instructor Miriam reflected: "None of the children got 'stuck' on an idea; they all jumped right into it and created really unique and cool lantern designs. I was constantly surprised at how quickly they came up with their lantern ideas and executed them so nicely in such a short amount of time. They were all eager and excited about this project, and it shows!" 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 3/22/24 Artists in Schools Viewing Steffani Jemison at Greene Naftali CMA Resident Artist Maria D. Rapicavoli visited the Steffani Jemison's exhibition with her after school students from Hudson Guild. NEXT IN

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 10/13/23 Interviews "No matter how intellectual your endeavors are, there should always be some element of play and joy present" Artist James Perkins on making art with his son and seeing the Nutcracker every year. NEXT IN

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 12/21/23 Artists in Schools Two Dimensional Design Kickoff! Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Niousha Kiarashi's elementary school class at Sid Miller Academy. NEXT IN

Oct 23, 2023 The Best Ways to Celebrate Halloween 2023 in NYC Aaron Ginsburg Donate Now

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 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. NEXT IN

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 2/28/24 Artists in Schools Releasing Our Burdens Through Art Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Maria D. Rapicavoli's after school class at Hudson Guild. NEXT IN