Student Artists: Suma Akter, Odette Blaisdell, Damarcus Bruno, Isabel Burns, Ashley Clarke, Kayla Daniels, Zori Davidson, Azure Garrett, Raihannah Jefferson, Taliana Katz, Jennifer Leon, Dennis Metoyer, Jahsiah Mussig, Malik Perry, Caitlyn Radcliffe, Gelsomine Reme, Danissa Santos, Maat Silin, Tania Velazquez

Artist Mentors: Michael Paul Britto, Susan Hamburger, Natalia Nakazawa, Sage & Coombe Architects (Andrew Kao, Christo Logan, Mark Long, Sara Murado), Emilie Shapiro/Liloveve Jewelry, Phillip Shung

Smack Mellon is pleased to announce the opening of Art Ready: Selected Work from the Artist Mentorship Program. The exhibition presents the work of students who participated in the 2012-2013 session of Art Ready, Smack Mellon’s arts mentorship program for high school students interested in pursuing a career in the visual arts. Working with professional painters, architects, installation artists, jewelry designers, graphic designers, video artists, and photographers, the student artists created an impressive range of work in a variety of media. This includes: collaborative video animations; paintings and drawings of portraits and scenes from both life and the imagination; clothing and shoes embellished with students’ designs; fantastical sculpted clay figurines; and a group mosaic mural incorporating found objects. One group of students worked with a jewelry designer to mold and carve their own rings; another collaborated with professional architects on a three-dimensional installation; and another group worked with graphic designers on their own magazine and documentary about the communities of Brooklyn.

Art Ready is a mentorship program designed to give students the opportunity to experience firsthand what it is like to be a professional working in a visual arts discipline. Students are exposed to a wide variety of artists and arts professionals, participate in mentorships, and visit museums and galleries. This year, the Art Ready group took field trips to such cultural venues as the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and No Longer Empty’s How Much Do I Owe You? exhibition at the Clock Tower in Queens. Individual mentor groups’ excursions included the International Center of Photography, The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Open Studios, Manhattan’s Jewelry District, and behind-the-scenes tours of HBO’s studios and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Students also participated in a special group workshop on college portfolio prep, led by teaching artist Sonya Blesofsky. For a preview of the exhibition work-in-progress, and to read about students’ and mentors’ experiences, visit the Art Ready blog: smartready.wordpress.com.

Video

Art Ready is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and New York City Council Member Stephen Levin, and with generous support from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the David and Minnie Berk Foundation, and Smack Mellon’s Members.

Space for Smack Mellon’s programs is generously provided by the Walentas Family and Two Trees Management.