Free Arts workshops NYC

Visionary Studio: Saturday Art Workshop is a 9-week program that combines the excitement of creating art with issues in social justice. Saturday mornings, from 10am-12pm, teens research one of four significant social themes (such as imagining the human body, street art, power & the symbol of the fist, and the water crisis) and discover a rich array of innovative, multidisciplinary approaches through which they can visually express their ideas.

Classes are taught by teams of graduate students completing their Certification in Art Education program at New York University. Together, students and teachers consider ways in which artists can and do influence society, and experiment with techniques that include drawing, painting, printmaking, video, photography, 3-dimensional media, and installation. These workshops challenge students to think outside of traditional artistic media and explore how artistic boundaries and influence can be stretched to include what has historically been excluded. As part of the program students participate in a final exhibition inviting a wide audience of parents, friends, teachers, and NYU faculty, to see their work.

High School students do not need a portfolio to apply to the Saturday Art Workshop - classes are free-of-charge, and open to students with all levels of art experience!

Curriculum Archive:
Fall 2012
Fall 2011
Fall 2010

Fall 2013 Visionary Studio:
Saturday Art Workshop Curriculum

THEMES:

1. ART SPEAKS OUT
Public spaces like parks, plazas, and city streets all serve as places where people can gather to talk, play, and protest. Since the creation of the first cities, public spaces have been an important part of our democracy. In New York City, Union Square Park has been used for rallies and meetings, as well as to protest government policies. Today, the majority of the public spaces in NYC are privately owned and so restrict groups of people from gathering. Artists have always created art for public spaces, and today, many artists are putting their work in public and reclaiming public space to comment on various issues that affect our communities. Students in this class will reflect on the differences between public art and activist public art and experiment with public art forms and media to address social issues and concerns.