We are thrilled to share with you the artwork of the students who participated in Smack Mellon’s Art Ready mentorship program this year!
The creative work they made is presented in a book, which is available for free as a downloadable PDF here.
Congratulations to this year’s students:
Onyx Disla, Eric Garcia, Jazee Handfield, Ximena Mejia, Kristina Lawrence, Michelle Shum, Miguel Mendoza, Zoe Rou Mee Tan, Pharaoh Halley, Judah Frazier, Diego Corsino-Pierrot, Valerie Mirra and Frank Bill Felipe
Art Ready brings high school-aged artists in 10th to 12th grades into the studios of New York City’s most innovative and inspiring art makers. The program is free and open to students attending New York City public high schools. 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 in the studio. 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.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students were not able to meet with their mentors in their studio this year. Instead, each mentor hosted workshops with students over Zoom to create artworks that we assembled into a book. It was important to us that the students had an outlet to express themselves and a platform to talk about the multitude of experiences and issues they are facing during this time. Students and mentors received copies of this book to reflect on their accomplishments and commemorate the challenges they overcame over these last months.
Thank you to our Art Ready Mentors: Feli Maynard, Florencia Escudero, Meryl Bennett, Gina Goico, Esperanza Cortés, and Antonia Januzzi-Thomas and Russell Einbinder of Sage and Coombe Architects for all their hard work.
We also extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Becky Star Sellinger (former Programs Manager of Smack Mellon) for her work over the years, including the design and production of this book.
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 Stephen Levin, and with support from Select Equity Group Foundation, Exploring The Arts 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 M. Andrew Cuomo 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, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, The Roy and Niuta Titus Foundation, Robert Lehman Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation Inc., and Smack Mellon’s Members.
Space for Smack Mellon’s programs is generously provided by the Walentas Family and Two Trees Management.
Smack Mellon would like to extend a special thanks to all of the individuals, foundations, and businesses who have contributed to the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund.
In-kind donations are provided by Artist & Craftsman Supply, Costco, Fairway, Trader Joe’s, and by Materials for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs/NYC Department of Sanitation/NYC Department of Education.
