Students: Alejandra Araujo, Marcelo Barrera, Lily Bratton, Amanda Coutain, Jessy Diaz, Brittany DiBenedetto, Anita Guo, Alisha Kelleher, Victoria Myrthil, Trang Nguyen, Evelyn Stephens-Tse, Amanda White, Anna Zanes

Exhibition dates: May 21 – May 24, 2009

Artists’ reception: Wednesday, May 20, 6pm

Smack Mellon is pleased to announce the opening of Art Ready: Selected Work from the Artist Mentorship Program. The exhibition presents the work of thirteen students who participated in the 2008-2009 session of Art Ready, Smack Mellon’s arts mentorship program for motivated high school students interested in possibly pursuing a career in the visual arts. Working with professional painters, architects, installation artists, jewelry makers, video artists, and photographers, the student artists in this show created an impressive range of work in a variety of media. The art on view includes a diverse group of works, including colorful collages using unconventional materials such as teabags and burnt paper, both black and white photographs and digital color shots, large-scale figurative charcoals, still life pencil drawings, video pieces shot and edited by students with the help of their mentors, and an architectural scale model of a building. Two of the students have also created beautiful handcrafted necklaces based on their own unique designs.

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 internships, and visit museums and galleries.

Smack Mellon is a non-profit arts organization in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Its mission is to nurture and support emerging and under-recognized women and mid-career artists by providing access to the technology, studio space, and exhibition space necessary for the realization of ambitious projects. In 2007, Smack Mellon initiated its first arts education program Art Ready, and in August 2008, introduced the pilot program Summer Arts Intensive for high school students.

Art Ready is made possible with funds from Independence Community Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Pinkerton Foundation and the William Talbot Hillman Foundation.

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