Thanks to Variety’s incredible support, Change for Kids’ partnership with the Bronx Museum of Art provides a unique opportunity for P.S. 73 second, third and fourth graders – a chance to discover the value of art through curated exploration of various themes and mediums. Students work in small groups to examine, analyze, and eventually create their own artwork during weekly 90-minute visits to the museum. Rather than study these themes purely academically, the children gain hands-on experience interacting with and producing art, enabling them to place their own work within a larger context. The eight-week program culminates with a student art exhibit at both the museum and P.S. 73, where parents, sponsors, school and community members celebrate the kids’ incredible work.
At this year’s opening reception on Tuesday, June 5th, the museum walls were lined with everything from crayon-colored family portraits to models of local landmarks to large scale robots made from recycled cardboard boxes. Each masterpiece singularly integrated the different artistic concepts and mediums discussed throughout the residency. During the event, the students presented their artwork to doting parents and fellow classmates; sharing their creative process, the trials and tribulations of group work and the significance of the art they created. By incorporating elements of their own neighborhood into their projects (including a remarkable model of “Mets” Stadium – “The Yankees have a stadium named after them! Why shouldn’t the Mets?”), the kids were able to establish a personal connection with their work – pouring a bit of themselves into each piece. With parents looking proudly over their child’s work, and the students equipped with newly discovered artistic knowledge as evidenced by the phenomenal body of work, the residency was nothing short of a tremendous success.