What is the value of art? Why is art relevant? Who determines its importance? How do we support creative thinking and creative minds?
These are all questions being asked and being answered through a number of arts education programs. Programs that are often de-prioritized when thinking through budgets and funding. The danger in cutting funding to these programs lies in what we deem important for humanity’s progression. This is a never-ending debate and we are finding with the current U.S. administration that arts education has been de-prioritized amongst line items such as security and defense.
But what does this mean for the progression of thought and our ability to support and empower a younger generation?
In the midst of this uncertainty, one organization created by Liz Hopfan continues their work pairing notable artists with students to push forward creative thinking. The Teen Arts Program (TAP) created by Free Arts NYC, develops essential career skills within underserved teens, ranging in age from 13 to 19, who share an interest in exploring the arts academically and/or professionally, but lack the resources needed to pursue an arts education or career in the creative industry. TAP participants are diverse, low-income teens, living in high-risk areas of the Bronx and Manhattan that struggle daily with economic and educational disadvantages. Their communities often do not have access to the mentors, arts educators, and dedicated spaces to support youth interested in the arts. As a result, creative disciplines like visual art, with its associated materials costs, are particularly inaccessible.
Recently, students of TAP collaborated with artist Taryn Simon to engage with The Picture Collection Project. The Picture Collection held at the mid-Manhattan library on 5th avenue holds 1.29M images spanning a number of generations. It’s a time vault for which you are able to sift through images and create your own narratives. It is a place to get lost and be found in so many ways.
Simon’s work with each of the participating teens allowed them to create their own body of work inspired by Simon’s The Picture Collection project. The first component of the project was a tour of Simon's studio. Through this tour, the teens learned about Simon’s inspirations, process, and details about The Picture Collection project. Collaboratively, and with guidance from Simon, the teens began their own Picture Collection project, drawing on their unique life experiences and influences. Each student chose a term and began the process of selecting images to assemble their own visual library. The 18 terms chosen collectively were: Empowerment, Culture, Addiction, Mental disorder, Admiration, Expressions, Androgyny, Terms, Ignorance, Memes, Tranquility, Equality, Beauty, Confidence, Ownership, America, Balance, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Later, Simon met with the students to view and discuss their work at The New York Public Library's Picture Collection Library. Billy Parrott, Associate Director of The New York Public Library, joined Simon and the teens to give a special historical overview of The Picture Collection.
For a deeper dive into the work of Simon and the Free Arts NYC teens check out the short film above by filmmaker Chiara Clemente.
For more information on Free Arts NYC please visit their site HERE.