The sound of ArtMaking
“When you give students the chance to paint, they are going to be the most focused you’ll ever see them.”
At PS 153, The Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. School, in Harlem, the art room hums with energy. Students sway in their seats, trying (and mostly failing) to silently mouth the words to “K-pop Demon Hunters” while painting their newest creations.
As a former student of PS 153, seeing these students sing while they paint was deeply heartwarming. It’s rare to see so much unfiltered joy in a classroom; those feelings have often faded by the time students reach high school. Standing there, surrounded by laughter and color, I felt like I’d stepped into a time machine, watching my younger self through adult eyes. Only this time, I wasn’t a student; I was back as the newest member of the Creative Art Works family, visiting a literature-based artmaking program and rediscovering the creative spirit that shaped me years ago.
“The fact that they’re able to just enjoy the music, sing quietly, move their shoulders, dance a little, and continue the activity, that’s special.”
This CAW integrated art and literacy program helps students in grades 1-2 build comprehension and retention skills by responding to classic picture books through drawing, painting, and sculpting. The books take students to new places and explore universal themes —the art projects inspired by the books allow for self-expression and encourage students to develop skills while making connections to their own lives and communities.
The program's curriculum was developed by CAW at this and other city schools and is continuously revised to meet the unique needs of the students we serve.
Maham Khwaja’s goal as a teaching artist is to bring joy to students while giving them access to something different from your typical academic class. She wants to give students a safe space where music isn't a distraction but a tool for focus, and where there is no right or wrong way to create art. They're learning many skills, but they're also discovering their own art styles, which evolve over time.
On this day, students painted self-portraits inspired by the picture book “I Like Myself” by Karen Beaumont. After reading this book about radical self-acceptance, Maham asked students to think about what makes them unique. She then discussed how they could incorporate those differences into their portraits—through physical elements, the colors they use, the style they choose, or the backgrounds they create. (take a look at students self-portraits below).
Students self Portraits
From Reading to Creating
Student’s line drawing inspired by “Harold & the Purple Crayon”
First Graders learn about imagination, creativity, and problem-solving through self-reliance, using Crockett Johnson's “Harold & the Purple Crayon.” This book demonstrates how Harold encounters difficulties but finds creative solutions and never gives up on finding a way forward. After learning basic line-drawing principles — letting the chalk guide you, turning mistakes into artwork, telling a story, and using the entire paper — students create their own line drawings, practicing both free and intentional drawing.
Later in the semester, students will read “Tar Beach” by Faith Ringgold, which explores themes of freedom, empowerment, hope, and the importance of family. The story shows strength and possibility, even when facing limitations, through a setting that NYC youth know well: the cityscape. Students will then look at different city silhouettes from around the world to see what other cities look like. Using a white pencil on black card stock, students will imagine their own cityscapes.
PS 153 Students creating collages
“With art, there are so many possibilities that you just want to let them have their freedom to explore.”
CAW Teaching Artist Maham Khwaja reading “Last Stop on Market Street” to PS 153 students
Second Graders drew inspiration from their commute to school to create collages of what they see in their everyday lives. Beginning with the book “Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt de la Peña, students learned to find beauty in their communities and embrace diversity. They then drew and cut out organic shapes to assemble collages, laying out pieces to best represent what they see on their way to school.
Another project that focuses on diversity is inspired by the book Animals with Insecurities by Nathan Catlin. In this book, animals who are self-conscious about their unique traits realize that being different can have its advantages. Students are then encouraged to sculpt animals out of clay with their own unique features. As students gain confidence in manipulating clay—pinching, rolling, twisting, and pulling it into different forms—they develop fine motor skills and spacial reasoning. They also learn to reframe difference that make us feel insecure as positive attributes that make us special.
By the end of the program, students walk away with more than life lessons and artwork. They leave with a joyful experience unlike any other class. As Maham says, “Whether it's developing their motor skills through drawing or painting, learning doesn't have to stay within the lines.”
This program was made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Creative Art Works’ school-based programs also receive support from the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation and the West Harlem Development Corporation.