Thanks to Variety’s vital support, Change for Kids has continued to strengthen the partnership between the Bronx Museum of Art and second, third and fourth graders at P.S. 73. As neighbors in the South Bronx, the partnership between the school and museum provides an opportunity for students to appreciate and create art that is rooted in the community where they live. The museum residency program entails students walking to the museum for eight 90-minute sessions. During these sessions, students interact with the museum’s collections, including Bronx-based art, as well as create their own pieces.
Throughout the year, students have been working on concepts of identity and self, and then applying that knowledge to the community where they live. The partnership has pushed students to recognize both the art that is currently present in their community and the art that could be created to enhance their community. In the fall, students explored the art of graffiti, which has a long history in the South Bronx. Students’ conception of art was expanded as they viewed pieces not only in the museum, but also pieces on the streets close to where they live. After this initial exploration, students created their own collage graffiti pieces with positive messages that students wanted to see hanging throughout the halls of their school.
In the spring, students will be exploring self-portraits and identity, guided by an exhibition of self-portraits currently on view at the museum. In order to apply these themes outside the art studio, the students are going to be pushed to think about how their identity interacts with the community the live in. These abstract ideals become tangible as the students create art that will ultimately become a part of the community they live in, creating a more beautiful space. The second grade will be creating simple contour drawing self-portraits, while the third grade will be creating more complex shadow self-portrait. The entire set of self-portraits will be on prominent display around the perimeter of the school during the month of June. The fourth grade is working on a collaborative mural, which will seek to incorporate themes of self-identity and community-identity, to be painted on the outside of the portable classrooms facing the school yard. Throughout these various projects and explorations, students will be guided to consider the role they play in their own community, and how art can be a part of that connection.