A MoCADA teaching artist in the schools

The Artists-in-Schools Program (A-I-S) provides a unique opportunity for students to learn and create art with direct support from professional and working artists. The Program educates students about the arts, cultures, and histories of the African Diaspora and offers them an authentic art making experience, by placing art materials into their hands to create original artworks.

MoCADA’s teaching artists are experienced community arts educators, many of whom have exhibited at the Museum. They collaborate with each school in order to create an innovative lesson plan in art history and art-making techniques, which is tailored for public schools (K-12) and meets the NY Learning Standards.

During each residency, students are introduced to a myriad of art techniques, ranging from painting and drawing to filmmaking and dance. Towards the end of the residency, students will tour MoCADA and other NYC museums to learn how to view art critically. In collaboration with the teaching artist, students will mount their own exhibition at MoCADA. They will curate all aspects of the exhibition, ranging from laying out the show and writing press releases to taking photographs at the exhibition opening. This experience enables students to discover other fields within the arts not spoken of in traditional academic settings.

From Africa to Brooklyn: From Great to Great

Organized by Ruby Amanze, Director of Education
at MoCADA May 26, 2011 – June 26, 2011

Ruby Amanze (right) with a few of her students at Bedford Academy High School

Students of MoCADA’s 2010/2011 Artists-in-Schools and CASA programs, will present photography, graphic design, screen-printing, dance, film and much more in this culminating exhibition! Participating students are from P.S. 3/The Bedford Village School, M.S. 57/The Ron Brown Academy, M.S. 265/Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts, Bedford Academy High School, Benjamin Banneker Academy, Brooklyn Academy of Global Finance and Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School. Funding is made possible by JPMorgan Chase, NYSCA, DCA and Councilman Albert Vann. Students will explore the vast cultures and identities that make up the African Diaspora, including taking a close look at their own family legacy.

For information about how to bring MoCADA teaching artists to your school, contact Ruby Amanze, Director of Education at ra@mocada.org, or call 718.230.0492 ext. 115.

Students admire a quilt that was created by their classmates at P.S. 202, at the opening reception for the 2010 student exhibition, ‘Legacy’.