See More Children's Museum of the Arts 11/28/23 Interviews "When I started drawing with a pencil, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to me and I knew that I would never want to stop." Artist Emilie Louise Gossiaux on discovering drawing as her superpower and viewing landscape paintings at the New Orleans Museum of Art. NEXT IN

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 5/23/24 Artists in Schools Sticker Mania Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Noormah Jamal's fifth grade class at Children's Workshop School. NEXT IN

See More Children's Museum of the Arts 10/5/23 Interviews "My first sculpture class got me hooked and I haven't looked back since." Artist Gracelee Lawrence on seeing art with her grandmother and following her creative impulses. NEXT IN

9/25/23 Interviews Catching Up with Nicole Hogsett from New York City Children's Theater ¡Corre, Abuelita, Run! debuts on New York City stages this fall. Click to expand media gallery. Open Studio at Pier 57 played host to emerging set designers during two guest workshops with New York City Children's Theater last month. Over the span of two days, kids met with Sammy Lopez , the creator of ¡Corre, Abuelita, Run! , to learn about the inspiration behind the play (yes, that's the abelita that inspired it all below). They took a cue from the world famous NYC Marathon to design cardboard sets representing all five boroughs of New York City, from Lower East Side tenement buildings to favorite landmarks like the Bronx Zoo. Even better, they’ll see their work come to life on the big stage and have their name featured in the official playbill. Below, CMA caught up with Nicole Hogsett , Director of Marketing and Audience Engagement, to chat about her favorite memories of the workshops, her childhood in Queens, and the Broadway play that sparked her love of theater. Nicole as a child, after winning a game of Pretty Pretty Princess What was your favorite part of Open Studio at Pier 57? During our first workshop at Pier 57, a young artist came up to the table with a really special piece featuring a green floor, a paper towel roll glued vertically and horizontally, and other beautiful flourishes. When we asked her about it, she shared that this was the park next to her Abuela's house. She was one of many young artists who incorporated their grandparents into their artwork. Chatting with each young artist about their work and seeing them connect with the story that Sammy told them about his Abuelita at the beginning of the workshop – and then using that as their inspiration – was my favorite part. Did you have any memorable experiences of working with children during the workshop? Connecting with young artists and helping them to brainstorm was one of the many memorable experiences I had during the workshops. During our second workshop, one of the young artists arrived late after we had presented what we were working on. After leading them to their table, I explained that we were building set pieces for our upcoming production and that they were being tasked with creating a building that one might see in NYC. We chatted about where they lived, what the buildings around them looked like, and how they might transfer that to the block they were holding. At the end of the session, the young artist shared their building with me and told me it was based on their grandma's apartment building. Where are you from and what is the arts community like there? I was born and raised in Hollis, Queens. There were few arts opportunities in my neighborhood, but luckily, being in New York, we were never too far from arts experiences. I also had parents who made sure that my sister and I were exposed to the arts from a very young age. Do you have a favorite memory of making art as a child? My mom's cousin, whom I'm still extremely close to, was an elementary school teacher and an artist. All of my favorite artmaking memories are with him. We made ornaments, magnets, and even built a replica of the Titanic! Can you describe a formative experience visiting the theater? One of my all-time favorite memories was seeing my first Broadway show, Beauty and the Beast . It was pouring that day, and our train had gotten into the city late, so my entire family ran through the streets of Manhattan without umbrellas to make it to the theater in time. Then, I watched wide-eyed as the performers took the stage and brought the story I loved to life. Everything about that day was magical, and it was the moment I fell in love with theater. What advice would you give to young artists who wish to pursue an art practice? My advice for a young artist would be to recognize that you can find inspiration from anything! One of my favorite parts of CMA's Open Studio is that each week has a different theme, like playgrounds, classroom objects, and the environment. It's such a gift to let young artists think about their world creatively, and I hope it inspires the artists CMA works with to never stop doing so! What is the best show or exhibition that you have seen recently? I might be biased, but New York City Children's Theater's Spring 2023 production, Fish in a Tree , was such an incredible performance. The show told the story of Ally, a young artist with dyslexia who, with her teacher's support, explores her true potential. It was such an important story, and it was so creatively told – a perfect combination of theater, visual arts, music, and movement. Learn more about the play and reserve your ticket here . NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now

Sep 28, 2022 Designer Rafael de Cárdenas Embraces Childlike Wonder Justin Kamp Donate Now

Michael Rips The Art Students League (ret.) Donate Now Since 1988

2/3/22 Kids Art 6 Fun Facts About Hudson Square Did you know that our neighborhood was home to a 9-story candy factory? Click to expand media gallery. It’s the season of love and we couldn’t think of a better person to celebrate it with than … you! We’re teaming up with the Hudson Square Business Improvement District to share the love for our New York City community with families near and far. All week long, participate in Valentine-inspired art projects to show affection for the friends, coworkers, neighbors, educators, and pets that bring joy to our lives. Get inspired with these six fun facts about our beloved NYC neighborhood, Hudson Square. 1. 315 Hudson Street used to be a 9-story candy factory. The most famous candy created within its wall was Jujyfruits, created in 1920. The building’s latest occupant? Google! 2. A mansion called Richmond Hill once stood on the corner of Charlton and Varick Streets. It is most notably known as the former home to Aaron Burr , the vice presidential home to John and Abigail Adams , and site of the Richmond Hill Theater. And that’s not all — Richmond Hill served as George Washington ’s headquarters when he defended New York City against the British. 3. Spring Street gets its name from a natural well which once flowed through the area. 4. Hudson Square was the former printing district of New York with over 1,000 print shops! By the 1960s, printers began to leave the area due to the decline of printing in the city and increase in rent prices. Coincidentally, Hudson Square is now home to numerous digital news outlets, such as New York Magazine and Gothamist. 5. Hudson Square was home to the first African-American newspaper. In 1827, The Freedom’s Journal provided critical information on current events and contained editorials declaiming slavery and other injustices. The neighborhood also served as a stronghold for the abolitionist movement and was host to many African-American-owned businesses and property. 6. The Holland Tunnel opened for business in 1927 and was dubbed the world’s longest underwater tunnel. In 1927, the toll was 50 cents. In 2022, the toll is $13.75! 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 6/18/24 Artists in Schools Celebrating a Year of After School Arts Education at Hudson Guild Children's Art Triennial is on view from June 14 through July 26, 2024 at the Hudson Guild Gallery in Chelsea, Manhattan. NEXT IN

11/23/21 Interviews Meet Artist in Residence Ciana Malchione “Everyone deserves the space and materials to be creative." Click to expand media gallery. CMA’s inaugural cohort of Artists in Residence are turning the museum into their individual art studios as they develop The Look Make Show , the first digital commons of child-centered on-demand arts education. Below, meet Ciana Malchione , whose paper-cut collages and whimsical art-making videos delight viewers from around the globe. What attracted you to CMA’s new Artist in Residence program? I felt that this residency was made for me. My primary creative interests are children’s book illustration and arts education, and this residency was perfectly aligned with both. I felt that making complex topics digestible for a child audience on The Look Make Show would directly benefit my work as a children’s illustrator, and I was excited to further my experience as an educator. I also felt that CMA shared my view of children and their work — that children are artists, that their work and ideas are truly valuable (not in a condescending “isn’t-that-cute” way), and that they deserve a strong arts education. The residency has exceeded all of my expectations. Can you tell us about your art practice and how working with children inspires you? My art practice is very connected to children. I want to illustrate children’s books, so most of my work is geared toward a child audience. I’m also currently working in the former stART Studio at the museum, a space where young children made messy art. There’s paint splattered everywhere and children’s artwork all over the walls. Most of them are colorful assemblages made with found materials (pine cones, building blocks, sea shells, etc.), which is super aligned with my own work as a collage illustrator. Whenever my eye wanders, I find myself staring at a piece made by children. Working in this context has made me more playful and curious. Do you have a favorite memory of making art as a child? I remember sitting on our living room floor at about 5 or 6 and drawing pen portraits of my parents. My step-dad’s was hilariously inaccurate, with hair that looked glued on. It made us all crack up laughing. Then I drew my mom. And there she was. She was so present in that drawing that it took us both by surprise. I still have it somewhere. It’s on a piece of green scrap paper. What advice would you give to young artists who wish to pursue an art practice? Follow your interests. If you like whittling, do more of that. If you like painting, do more of that. Don’t force anything. Just follow your genuine interests and keep making things. That’s all it takes to have an art practice. Why is it important to make art accessible to all children and families? Art and art-making don’t belong to the elite, or to any particular demographic. It’s a fundamental part of all human life, and everyone deserves the space and materials to be creative. I think we also need to expand our understanding of art to include all modes of creative tinkering. CMA posits that all children are artists, and I agree with that. If you could choose any artist to create a portrait of yourself, who would it be and why? Alice Neel is my favorite portrait artist. I think her paintings are charming and funny, but also honest. They’re rarely flattering, and have a way of accessing something vulnerable and goofy in the sitter. I’d be curious to see what she found in me. NEXT Emergency Exhibition: New Training for Future Artists and Art Lovers Take a Virtual Tour on Bloomberg Connects Donate Now

1/5/24 Artists in Schools Mer-Cats, Volcanoes, and Teacups Dispatches from CMA Resident Artist Maria D. Rapicavoli's after school class at Hudson Guild. Click to expand media gallery. Students took a page from Maria’s own artistic practice as they created air-dry clay pottery using hand-building techniques. For inspiration, they looked to Picasso and his peer Giovanni De Simone, a Sicilian artisan known for his intense colors and cubist drawing style. They surveyed slab construction, coil building, and pinch pot techniques, and even got to knead their own clay using rolling pins. Students started out by creating basic clay forms like pinch pots and slab-built vessels, then experimented with different techniques to add textures and patterns to their form. Afterwards, they learned how to join clay pieces securely using water as a slip. One student made a “Mer-Cat” – a cat who got lost at sea, ate seaweed, and grew a mermaid tail – while another student created a volcano and named it “Mount Kairi” after himself. One particularly thoughtful student created a teacup for his mother and even carved her initials into the bottom. 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