Connor Fellowship Archive: {C/CNY} Web Gallery

A tenet of our collective practice as burgeoning arts educators is envisioning a future in which all student work is valued and valuable regardless of technical proficiency and external commodification. Since we must lead by example we decided to share our artwork made during CCNY Art Ed courses through {C/CNY} Web Gallery, tying together themes such as Community/Class & Climate/Change. We are excited to share our budding ideas, works in progress, and completed projects and invite anyone to continue learning with us.

a response to my values as an artist and why I am an art educator. 8.6 x 11 ink pen and charcoal on paper

Image is of a triptych. The two outer panels are fluid art compositions and the middle is of a female subject in anguish as three hands pull her down.

The Return, acrylic and water color on wood
The image is of a blue and orange topographical triptych. The two outer panels are fluid art compositions and the middle is of a female subject in anguish as three hands pull her down.
– Kamilah Frasier

The Return reminds us that we all come from the earth and will eventually go back to it. As reality sets in, it can sometimes become harder to accept,  whether we fight it or not. - Kamilah Fraiser

Collaged surreal painting consisting of a gray dark hand on the left side of the image with shapes floatings and raidating upward and towards the right to a clothesline with tam brown purple clothes billowing above a foot[rint in the same gray inky color with painted and paper flowers next to the foot. The foot and flowers rest on a light blue blanket that is painted on top of colorful stones. Above the hand are black butterflies stamped in the sky. — **Until We Meet Again**, acrylic, pen and ink on paper, pencil, masking tape, hot glue on canvas, 24in x 36in

This mixed media surrealism painting represents the path that I will take to meet a special person (my mother) along the way. It depicts the constant emotions I face on an everyday basis due to a loss, both happiness and pain. My choice of colors contributed to my connection between my environment and a new space that I desire. Overall this work of art has helped me become stronger. Our assignment was to work on an ongoing project. I appreciated the opportunity to create a piece without any restrictions. This prompt allowed me to challenge myself and become a problem solver. Throughout the process, I enjoyed the ability to capture my true emotions. – **Anna Elias**
Website: https://www.annaeliasart.com/

This painting describes the period of time after sunset called the blue hour where the last bit of light is fading away. The painting is based on a location in Brooklyn, NY. — In Materials and Methods in Art Education, we were asked to interview a professional working in the Arts. After the interview, we were asked to reflect on our experience by creating a visual portrait.

This painting describes the end of a multi colored sunset featuring greys, purples, pinks, and yellow light. This painting is based on a location in New Jersey. — In Materials and Methods in Art Education, we were asked to interview a professional working in the Arts. After the interview, we were asked to reflect on our experience by creating a visual portrait.

This artwork is a conglomeration of various pieces I have made, many of which are still life drawings / paintings of eggs. The materials are arranged in a way that directly addresses my views pertaining to the heavy focus on observational drawing commonly practiced in many art education programs. – **Aubrie Cogan**

**The assignment prompt: Create an artistic response to a section of your written artist philosophy.**

Arrangements No. 1 – 4: These artworks are created from cut fabric and other findings from nature and memory that I have collected over the years. My work in the Studio Practices class began as a personal reflection and became, through guidance and encouragement from my professor and classmates, a process of collaboration, gathering, and arranging various and current elements of my life. Starting with pieces cut from someone else’s creativity was connective and motivating. For these works, I used fabrics from sewing projects and discarded clothing, pieces of shell from my nature collections, and created ‘thread storms’ for each piece from my thread box. The linen and cotton base fabrics are cut from a friend’s old pants. The desire to create these works in pieced and stitched fabric holds my place in a long line of hand crafters in my maternal family.

– Emily J Porter

IG: @emilyj_porter, emilyjporter.com

These images were created in Kerry Downey’s Studio Practices class this summer. My intention was to transcend my normal lineated path of creation by integrating more intuition and play vs. less planning and critical thinking. While creating these mixed media pieces, I let my intuition guide me. I started by making amorphous watercolor forms, and built the rest of the image around that. Thematically, these images explored the idea of accessing “creative spaciousness”, a limitless place filled with mystery and magic. – Esther Rubyan

A portrait drawing of a mother of 2. She shared her worries and challenges navigating through motherhood. I chose her because I wanted to hear from someone who’s “full-time job” is often undervalued because it’s not considered an “actual job”. The portrait was done using an en=bony pencil. In the back is a wall containing some pieces of information I got from talking to her. – Ita Christian

The interview project was inspiring because I had the opportunity to speak with newly elected Congress-member Jamaal Bowman representing my district (District 16) Bronx, NY. I began the interview by thanking Congressman Bowman for taking time to meet with me (over zoom) and he replied that he’d “make any time for a student” and this was made apparent in his to approach to education.
We spoke about his history as an educator in the Bronx and his experience working with a trauma based approach to education. He said after progressing through the ranks from counselor to principal of his own school he realized the next step was to shape policy in order to ensure the safety of all students, especially those who are the most marginalized and oppressed. Jamaal Bowman’s concern for the well being of students was made clear in his parting words to me “not to burn out” and to “be gentle with myself” in order to take care of myself so I can take care of my students. He said to “follow my instinct” and to be okay with failure because that’s where the best learning takes place. **“Dreams drive [me] more than worry”**. Congress-member Bowman advised me to be adaptive and creative and teach with restorative guidance, and to be genuine and imparted a sense of urgency and care in his work which is something I admire as a novice teacher. – Noah Benus

The assignment prompt was to select from a list of construction ideas to create a 3-D artwork. I chose the prompt that asked me to make a new work from one of my own works in a different medium. – Emily Porter

The prompt given for this was to create a sculpture that reflects movement, loops and also shadow. I opted to make something that can be viewed from all angles. – Erica Roldan

12 faces smiling and laughing arranged in a grid. The rectangles are a screenshot from a Zoom computer call — The Artists Supporting Artists Digital Art Jam Zoom gatherings were organized out of a need for community. Together, we spend time exercising mindfulness, practice art-based warm-ups, and allow ourselves to spend time creating art together. These digital art jams have blossomed into a bi-weekly fruitful support system.

A zoom screen shot of someone in center frame holding up two photographs with five other boxes with people inside of them on top. The image has two young children standing together.

A detailed pencil drawing of a bird resting on a small branch surrounded by flowers and plants blooming.

A yin-yang symbol in orange and blue with red hearts circumventing the circle. Dotted lines and rays radiate outward from the center of the page.

A pencil sketch of a body centered on a yellow - orange dimly lit piece of paper

A collage on a piece of blank white paper. A dichromatic Butterfly pasted ontop of an hombre yellow to red rectangle on top of a head with eyes covered with newspaper text that reads "interchangeable everything"

A computer screenshot of someone sharing their sketche of c=potato shapes drawings with five faces staring from a grid to the left of the digital sketch.

A mannequin against a blank white wall. The mannequin has patches of fabric sewn on to the bottom and a tape measure hanging from its neck

Over the course of this class, Materials and Methods in Arts Education, we were asked to create zines as responses to readings, discussions, projects, anything that we worked on together during the semester. I appreciate how the collection of zines I produced during this class now functions as a sort of visual resource library for lesson planning, writing curriculum, visual thinking strategies, and teaching philosophies in art education.

This zine is a “Lesson Plan How-To,” in response to class discussions and lesson planning resources shared in our Materials & Methods class this semester. – Alex Karpa

The prompt, inspired by ethnography studies, was to make a map of a cultural community in which we are engaging with and observing. We could choose any material and imagery to work with.

About Anne Feng