Students from NEST+m participated in a 6-week long art making intensive with Artist-Teacher Jennifer Spatz as an extension of the ARTworks program. Join us to celebrate the students' work on April 1st, 2015!

The exhibition will be on view in CUE's Project Space from March 21 - April 25th.

“hopes, dreams, and fears”
Featuring the 5th grade artists of NEST+m Lower School, NYC

Students created mixed media pieces drawing upon the theme of “hopes, dreams and fears”. The idea for the lesson unit was inspired by a conversation overheard in the art room. Students were discussing their aspirations for the future and it opened up another part of their personality I rarely get to hear about. It prompted a writing assignment where each child wrote about their hopes, dreams and fears. They are mature enough to articulate what they hope, dream or fear for themselves and for the world. Our children are emotionally and socially aware and I wanted to provide them a platform and voice to express this.

In collaboration with CUE Teaching Artist Jennifer Spatz, we brainstormed each lesson by incorporating new and unique materials for the children to be exposed to, yet challenged them to push their ideas in unexpected ways. Through the combination of text, visual imagery (both abstract and representational), sculpture and a limited color palette, every piece exhibits each child's thought process. A trip to the Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea gave them an opportunity to connect their current learning and in-class discussion with ancient works of similar themes.

—Christina Soriano, NEST+m Lower School art teacher