“Tapping into the student’s imagination”
Bronx students participate in Guggenheim’s ‘Learning Through Art’ Program
BY JASON COHEN
For 50 years the Guggenheim’s
Learning Through
Art program has been offering
hands-on, in-school arts
education to public school students
across the five boroughs.
Celebrating this anniversary,
the museum is holding
its annual exhibition A Year
with Children 2021 from April
30 through June 21. Among the
students whose work is on display
are children from PS 86 in
Kingsbridge Heights. The Guggenheim
has been working
with the school since 1997.
LTA had three residencies
at P.S. 86 this year, third,
fourth and sixth grade.
Jeff Hopkins, who has been
an artist in residence for 15
years at P.S. 86, spoke with the
Bronx Times about the program
and how the kids managed
during the pandemic.
“It was a very different
year, but in some ways we
were able to create the same
things we do in the classroom,”
Hopkins explained.
Hopkins typically teaches
a few classes a week at the
school, however, when the
coronavirus arrived everyone
was forced to learn remotely.
He was a bit nervous at first
because the kids were dealing
with the stress of COVID-19
and many lacked art supplies.
Once the children acclimated
to their surroundings,
class became fun, he said.
“I was really impressed
with all of the students handled
all of the challenges,” he
stressed. “I feel like I got to
know the students really well
through Zoom. We ended up
with some really amazing artwork.”
Each grade had a different
project. Third grade did emotional
architecture, where
students focused on social–
emotional learning and in
particular how to bring life
and personality to inanimate
objects.
Fourth grade did pieces
about windows, which was inspired
by the digital windows
of Zoom and Google Classroom.
Students designed a
PS 86, sixth grade student sharing work from a sketchbook screenshot.” Photos courtesy of the Guggenheim
window of a large apartment
building, complete with characters
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,30 MAY 14-20, 2021 BTR
and depictions of interiors.
Lastly, the sixth grade
studied portraits of famous
artists and then made their
own.
After having a digital exhibition
last year, Hopkins was
glad this year’s art got to be on
display in the museum.
“I had high expectations
because I knew we could
do good work,” Hopkins explained.
“The purpose is to
showcase the beautiful artwork
that happens in the
schools. It’s not about the talent;
it’s about tapping into the
student’s imagination and
abilities they didn’t know they
had.
If they don’t think they are
an artist and don’t think they
can draw, it’s my job to open
that up for them.”
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