Life in 3D
Students in the sculpture class at PS 88 in Queens
On a bitterly cold January Saturday morning, primary-school students, still swaddled in winter jackets and snow boots, sit around small tables in the art room at PS 88 in Queens, and quite literally build their own rich fantasy worlds. For the past few weeks, they have been creating dioramas, complete with towering castles made of scraps of wood, construction paper backdrops, and clothespin dolls. This art class is integrated with their English as a New Language (ENL) class, so Creative Art Works Teaching Artist Brandi Martin has asked her tiny auteurs to write a descriptive paragraph about their imaginary worlds.
A student in the the ENL-integrated CASA program at PS 88 in Queens
Since every child in this class is a non-native speaker, writing a paragraph in English can be challenging and teachers have to be patient and adaptable. When one child seems to be struggling to get started, Brandi suggests that he write a few sentences in his native language, just to get the ideas flowing. It works, and the child begins filling up his paper with Chinese characters. The other students at his table are enthralled by this new form of writing. They all want Chinese characters on their papers as well, and their classmate is happy to oblige, producing random words on request. It’s an unplanned teachable moment, and it is the sort of thing that would be hard to replicate in a virtual setting.
Brandi credits a boost in attendance to the PS 88 Saturday programs, at least in part, to the popularity of the CAW sculpture class, saying, “They come for the art and stay for the English instruction.”
The sculpture class at PS 88 Queens is just one of four Cultural After School Adventures (CASA) programs Creative Art Works is currently providing at Hamilton Grange Middle School and the Hamilton Heights School, both in Manhattan City Council District 7, and PS/MS 278, in Manhattan District 10, with more to launch this spring in Manhattan Districts 7 and 11, and Bronx District 15. The CASA Initiative brings high-quality out-of-school-time arts partnerships to New York City public schools.
The CASA Initiative provides vital resources for rich programming that values students holistically, and amplifies the artistic experience as central to a robust learning environment. CAW Deputy Director / Director of Development Karen Jolicoeur made clear in a statement at an oversight hearing of the New York City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, there are many ancillary benefits to CASA programs, including measurable increases in school attendance, engagement, and graduation rates; as well as long-term real cost benefits to municipalities.
Students in the Sculpture Class at the Hamilton Heights School combined their individual neighborhood sculptures to make one big community.
“Creative Art Works’s CASA program has played a vital role in providing enrichment, social emotional support, and community building to all of our students during these challenging times. Through their resources and quality partnerships, the CASA program continues to help foster our school’s vision, which is to provide a progressive educational approach to a diverse population of students in an environment that is nurturing, supportive, culturally responsive and inclusive.”
Gallery: Screaming monsters inspired by sculpture vessels from Peru from CAW’s Art Around the World program at the Hamilton Grange Middle School
The Art Around the World program at the Hamilton Grange Middle School combines art history and social studies with hands-on art experiences. For one project, students learned about ancient Moche and Chimú sculpture vessels from Peru (examples shown in the first two photos) before trying their hand at making their own clay sculptures.
In addition to providing rich cultural experiences and authentic art-making skills, these programs provide students with extra opportunities to develop interpersonal and academic skills, like teamwork and following directions, in a friendly environment. After nearly two years of disrupted learning, the chance to build these foundational skills is particularly important for younger students.
“I’m a really shy person, but making art is where I feel more comfortable.”
“I love being helpful to others. Whether that’s with my classmates or my teachers.”
Gallery: Miniature Sets from The World! (only tiny!) program at PS/MS 278
Students in the multidisciplinary class, called The World! (only tiny!), at PS/MS 278, are building miniature sets, figures, and props, for stop-motion animations. The sculpture is a piece of art in itself which is then used to make another piece of art. Students experiment with photographing their sculptures against different backdrops or with different lighting before creating stop-motion animated GIF’s. Themes include sea creatures, festive holidays, lush tropical gardens, and monsters in the closet.
These programs are made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs through the Cultural After School Adventures (CASA) initiative, in partnership with the City Council.
