“It was interesting to learn about different artists, their work, and the processes behind it. It gave me new ideas and clear direction of where I wanted to go in the future. The mentorships were rich experiences too; I learned skills from the artists which I could later apply to my own artworks.“
— Former Art Ready Participant
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Applications are now closed for the 2024-25 school year.
About Art Ready
Smack Mellon’s Art Ready program connects high school aged artists in 10th to 12th grades with New York City’s most innovative and inspiring cultural makers. The program is open to students attending New York City public high schools who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Art Ready operates during the school year and includes a series of studio visits with emerging and established artists; a series of field trips to museums and galleries; a portfolio prep workshop; and a 15-week arts mentorship which culminates in an exhibition of student work. Art Ready connects up to twenty-one high school students with seven diverse artists, to gain practical experience working with professionals in a variety of artistic disciplines. There is no fee to participate, and all expenses are paid.
Art Ready engages young people in a way no other arts education program does. It pairs students directly with working artists; the students learn firsthand over the course of a school year what it is to be an artist. Working as mentors, the artists provide professional and creative guidance as the students make decisions about their futures in the arts. Mentor/teaching artists tutor the students in their creative process, introduce them to new ways of working, and engage them in continuous critical reflection.
The Program
Art Ready meetings take place Wednesday afternoons from 4:00-6:30pm, October 23, 2024 through May 21, 2025. From October 2024-January 2025, students are introduced to all of our Artist Mentors through studio visits. Art Ready visits artists in the fields of photography, film, drawing, sculpture, textile art, web & fashion design, public art, and architecture.
After the group has visited all the artists, each student chooses an Artist Mentor to work with from January to May 2025. Students work on average 2.5 hours/week and attend their mentorships in small groups. During the mentorship period, students may also meet as a group for gallery and museum trips.
Please contact Maryam Chadury at 718.834.8761 or with any questions.
Mentors
Art Ready Mentors work with the Art Ready students in a 15-week mentorship, culminating in an exhibition of the students’ work in the spring. The mentors are professional artists who have worked in comics, printmaking, textile and sculpture, painting, graphic/web design, architecture, and public art, and jewelry-making, among other mediums.
Staff
Art Ready is led by Maryam Chadury, Programs & Events Manager at Smack Mellon. She has a strong interest in arts administration and supporting artists and art workers at all stages of their careers. Prior to coming to Smack Mellon, Maryam held positions and internships at several art and cultural institutions, including CUE Art Foundation, the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Modern Art, where she served as a CUNY Student Ambassador. Maryam graduated from CUNY Brooklyn College, where she received a B.A. in Art History and Studio Art.
Art Ready mentors are a varied group of professionals selected with three criteria in mind: an interest in sharing their knowledge, experience, and skills with students; diversity in both ethnicity and media; and success in their field. The majority of our mentors are former exhibiting or resident artists at Smack Mellon, and have substantial mentoring and teaching experience.
Selection Process
Applicants are required to complete an online application form and answer essay questions about why they are interested in the program.
Finalists will be interviewed and up to 20 students will be selected with these criteria in mind: their interest in pursuing a career in the arts, their ability to attend every session on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00-6:30pm, October 23, 2024 through May 21, 2025 to complete a 15-week mentorship, and the quality of their application.
Questions?
Please contact Maryam Chadury at 718.834.8761 or
Smack Mellon’s Education Programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, New York City Council Member Lincoln Restler, and with support from Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Select Equity Group Foundation, an Anonymous Donor, and Smack Mellon’s Members.
Smack Mellon’s programs are also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and with generous support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of The New York Community Trust, Jerome Foundation, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Wolf Kahn Foundation, Robert Lehman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation Inc., The Roy and Niuta Titus Foundation, and Smack Mellon’s Members.
Space for Smack Mellon’s programs is generously provided by the Walentas Family and Two Trees Management.
In-kind donations and services are provided by Materials for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs/NYC Department of Sanitation/NYC Department of Education, Sage and Coombe Architects, Royal Talens Foundation, Blick Art Materials, Artist & Craftsman Supply, Wegmans, Costco, and Trader Joe’s.
