BRONX ART COLLECTIVE

BAC Teen Gallery Opening Night at the DY Art Center

2011-05-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! Here are some great photo's (taken by our favorite photographer DFlo!) of our art opening last week. As you can see, there was a lot of LOVE (life is art) in the room. A big THANK YOU to everyone that came out and made it a night to remember!

Carla and "Carla"

What does art do? And, is art worth doing?

Diana's family

Lots of OSP Love!

Don't ask us ask the intern!

Jay gives his speech...

Diana speaks about her process for the past three years...

Go Justin!!

BAC EXHIBITION AT THE DY ART CENTER

2011-05-13T15:54:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Last week DreamYard's OSP groups - BAC, BAE and the Hip Hop Rhyme Factory celebrated an evening of art, theater and music. Our current exhibition titled The Who, The What, The How features over fifty pieces of artwork, transforming the DY Art Center into a teen gallery.

Diana's oil paintings pay homage to family, while Sol and Jose's remind us of what is home. Justin's larger than life self portrait asks the viewer- who is in control of your life? Lorena's twist on the Chutes and Ladders game questions what brings you up and what takes you down? While Jay's powerful shadow installation made of paper guns states "no one can censor art." Rounding out the show are Raheem's playful installation's and video's reminding us what's underneath the music, and Christopher's humorous up-and-coming (almost launched!) website: www.WhoTheBookAmI.com.

Over seventy people were in attendance and it was a great evening. Here's a glimpse of the show, which is going to be up for a little while so come on out to the DY Art Center if you haven't had a chance yet!

DreamYard OSP Festival

2011-05-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

EMPOWER! CREATE! CONNECT!

DreamYard's OSP family will be sharing their work all week with events at the Art Center. Join us in celebrating the 2010-2011 work by our participants!!

May 4 - OSP Mini-Sharing at 5:30PM

May 5 - BPP/Rhyme Factory Open Mic 5:30PM

BAE Opening Night Performance is at 7PM

May 6 BAC Gallery Opening Reception will be from 6 - 6:45PM

Followed by another performance by BAE

May 7 Action performs at 4PM

For more info contact Evelyn Bojorquez at 718-588-8007 ext 206

or email evelyn@dreamyard.com

We hope to see you all there!

String Man

2011-04-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

BAC participant Raheem creates a site-specific drawing at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, for DreamYard's art exhibition titled: One Hundred Billion Times Yes!!

Indy Projects Part II

2011-04-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

BAC workin in the studio

Hey everyone, we're back with another update! BAC artists have been focusing on their independent projects for the past several weeks. The personal, universal and socio-political have intersected. BAC is creating an exhibition of this work for DreamYard's upcoming OSP Festival...more info on this event soon! In the meantime, check out the photo's from our most recent studio day...

Raheem's String Man...

Justin's larger than life self-portrait

Christopher's web design character studies

Here Diana's workin on a family portrait in oils

Jay's paper gun projections

BAC Indy Projects

2011-02-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

Raheem Garriques, Study for an installation, Elvis Has Left The Building

Hey everyone, BAC is back with an update! BAC participants are currently working on independent projects for upcoming shows at the Bronx Museum of the Arts and the DreamYard Art Center. We have lots of exciting stuff going on, and our artists are hard at work preparing their pieces. Here's a preview...

Christopher Aracena, Final Character Design for Indy Project

Jahvorn Young, Sculpture Study for Indy Project

Justin Cuevas, Self-Portrait Study

Oil Painting Lessons

2011-01-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

In BAC, we have been learning about the history of oil painting and it's painters. We've looked at artworks by Cezanne, Matisse, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Titian, Manet, Monet, Goya, Velasquez, and many more ...(to name a few).

We first started out with color theory, where we mixed different tones (shades) of every color (red, blue, green, violet, yellow, black, white, etc). We also discussed the meaning of colors, and complimentary colors.

Oil painting is very different from painting with acrylic. Acrylic paint is water soluble. Oil based paints stay wet for a longer period of time, which means you can work into them more, and you need a medium - linseed oil and turpentine, to use with the paint.

We were given a lesson on how to begin an oil painting. We talked about composition and placement a lot. Beginning a painting is different from a drawing. Drawing is linear. Painting is different, you're dealing more with area and an underlying structure, that you then layer paint on top of.

To begin painting we focused on observational studies of fruits and vegetables. We just looked at something and tried the best we could to paint it. A lot of times it was hard to paint "exactly" what you saw, so you had to interpret that into paint and color.

A few painting techniques we learned were:

Glazing - thin transparent layers applied on top of dry areas of paint

Scumbling - dry brush applied on top of dry paint.

Wet on wet - working wet paint into wet paint.

Below are snapshots taken during our painting studio sessions:

Beginning a painting

BAC artists working in the studio

And here are some of the finished master pieces!

Christopher Aracena, Two Petals, Oil Paint on Canvas, 9X12" 2011

Diana Perea, Two Parts To A Lemon, Oil Paint on Canvas, 9X12" 2011

BAC visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art

2011-01-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

BAC student sketchbook study from the MET collection

BAC went on a sketchbook tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in November. We looked at paintings by the Impressionists and sculptures in the Greek & Roman collections. We were asked to create observational studies from what we saw. Below are some examples taken from our sketchbooks:

Bronx Pro and DreamYard: Bronx Blooms Paint Day, May 15

2010-05-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

On May 15th DreamYard and Bronx Pro held the Bronx Blooms Mural Community Paint Day in Morrisania with over eighty people in attendance coming out to enjoy! It was a fun-filled day full of paint, hoola-hoops, sidewalk chalk, music and a delicious bbq.

Bronx Blooms has been commissioned by Bronx Pro. DreamYard's BAC members have designed the mural, and community members helped paint it! For more details about the mural, click here and here.

We'd like to thank everyone that came out on the 15th to paint! And a huge shout out to the Bronx Pro team for building the giant circles!

Completion of Bronx Blooms is slated for September with a celebration scheduled for the Fall, 2010. We hope to see you then!

Here are more pics from the community paint day, enjoy!

Getting Started!

Say cheese!

The paint team discusses colors

That's a lot of people painting!

Almost time for BBQ

The BX Pro Crew

All done! Time to clean up...

Bronx Blooms Mural Pitch

2010-04-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Bronx Blooms Mural Design

"The Morrisania community is in transformation. We are seeing a revitalization here and want to show that this place is a great place to live. Art is a healing factor in an environment. Murals should invite people to live here, and unite the community. Murals visually stimulate and are powerful, they support a transformation within a community. This is just the beginning, an anchor." - Peter Magistro

Today BAC pitched the mural design to Peter Magistro from Bronx Pro. We asked the question: Why are murals powerful and how can a mural support in transforming a community? Some of the responses included:

Murals create dialogue between members of a community
Murals are powerful because they make art accessible to everyone
Murals provide visual aesthetics for a community and provide powerful images that inspire
Murals support in transforming a community because the entire community will be striving towards a common goal

For this mural, Bronx Blooms, BAC designed giant flowers with central themes about "what's great about the Bronx" inside them. The flowers symbolize new beginnings, rebirth and growth. Historically murals symbolize transformation in neighborhoods. Because they are known to make a change. Our goal is to give hope and inspiration for the people living here. Here are some examples of the central scenes:

Rone Graves, Bronx River

Diana Perea, Botanical Gardens

Edwin Velasquez, The Beat of the Bronx

Stay tuned for more information about the mural in upcoming weeks!

DreamYard and Bronx Pro Mural Project

2010-04-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Bronx Blooms Mural Project Sketch-up

Site of Bronx Blooms mural

DreamYard and Bronx Pro have partnered to make a mural titled Bronx Blooms celebrating the Bronx and OSP's core values. The wall is located behind DreamYard's new art center in the Morrisania neighborhood. The goal of the mural is to create peace and serenity, Diana explains "we want people to feel tranquil when they look at it." Combining giant 3D flowers with Bronx based imagery we hope the mural will "transform the drab cinder block wall into something energetic and colorful" says Christopher." DreamYard's core values are Voice, Culture and Justice.

Since we could not paint directly on to the wall, we began to brainstorm ideas using shapes cut out of MDO plywood. The idea of painting giant flowers came from a sketch by BAC participant, Kevin. We then started sketching out central themes into the core of the flowers, some of these include vacant abandoned lots transitioning into something beautiful and the Bronx River. Kevin states "I don't want to make a cliche message that everyone has already seen before, but something special and that people can connect to."

Bronx Blooms Mural Project Schematic

Opening Night of miniMAX

2010-04-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful and sunny Thursday evening, the proud parents and young DreamYard artists gathered at the Bronx Museum of the Arts for the official opening of miniMAX.

This year, BAC participants curated a variety of art from all over the Bronx. Some of the curated themes for the show included: Dark and Stormy, Geometric, Faces and Animation. On opening night, the energy was amazing! As people walked around the exhibit, you could see that they were lost in thought, examining and interpreting all the pieces.

After an hour into the night, we had speeches giving thanks to all that had come out and participated. We also heard statements given by some of the young artists and handed out awards. One of the most memorable moments of the evening was seeing our guest artist, Skowman Hastanan receive a gift from Narelyn Camacho, a BAC member. All in all, the miniMAX show was a success!

(Photo's of opening night coming soon)

Family Workshops at The Bronx Museum of the Arts

2010-04-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

As part of the miniMAX show the BAC participants led a family art making workshop. It was a big hit, and also a great opportunity for parents and children alike to get creative and see the show. But I have to say, the children were the real stars of the day. They made many beautiful pieces out of their imagination. It's a great joy to know that people so young could be so interested in art. I feel that BAC is truly bringing out the Da Vinci in everyone!

Making miniMAX

2010-03-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! This is a behind the scenes look at miniMAX in the making (before and after). Here the BAC crew is hard at work framing and shipping the art.

Putting up the exhibit was a whole other challenge. After unpacking, we laid all the artwork on to the floor and decided how to arrange and hang the pieces. This was a much harder job than seemed. Here's a video during installation -

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/aee8d03f43fa2485740194b51683ad1e/video/11638952

BAC participant Kevin Boadu stated: " This program has given us many skills that weren't in the fine print, so to speak. The framed artwork couldn't just be placed onto the wall, this would create an uneven, unattractive exhibition. The length and width of the frames were taken into account, as were the dimensions of the wall. Then the height of each frame had to be marked where it would be on the wall. If the measurements were not constant, the exhibit might not have been as enticing and balanced."

Here's a look at the final installation:

BAC Curates "miniMAX" at The Bronx Museum of Art

2010-03-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! It's been some busy times for the BAC crew here at the art center. We're in the process of curating and planning the upcoming annual DreamYard art exhibition. This year the show will be titled miniMAX! It will be a show for all ages. Be sure to check it out at the Bronx Museum of the Arts from March 17- 20. We're going to have some fun stuff in store for you, including a family workshop!

Speaking of workshops, we had a great curatorial workshop a couple weeks ago with Susana Leval. She gave us helpful pointers on the process of curating, and provided us with useful knowledge on the subject. We discussed how the job of a curator involves being a caretaker for the artwork, and it is our priority to ensure that the work makes it to the Bronx Museum safely. And that each piece is shown in their strongest light once it is installed in the space. She led the workshop asking each of us to bring in an object we valued and thought was beautiful. We all spoke about why our object was important to us, and then we began to find threads in all of our stories, and grouped them into categories.

After the curatorial workshop, we juried the show and discussed the curatorial themes emerging from the artwork. We have seven curated themes for the miniMAX show, these are: Animation, Geometric, Dark & Stormy, The Personal, Faces, Cultural Symbolic, and Food & Nature.

Here's a sneak peak of some of the artworks you will see in miniMAX:

miniMAX will be open to the public March 17 - 20, 2010

March 17 - 19 hours are: 11am - 6pm
An Opening celebrating the artists will be held on the 18th from 5:30 - 7:30PM
March 20 the show will be open from 11:00am - 3:00 with family workshops being given during those hours

The Bronx Museum of the Arts is located at 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street.

Directions

Train
D OR B TRAINS to the 167 STREET/GRAND CONCOURSE STATION. Exit at rear of station,
walk south along Grand Concourse two blocks.

PLEASE NOTE: D Train stops all times except
rush hours peak direction (6:15 am - 9 am to
Manhattan, 4 pm - 6:45 pm from Manhattan). Take
B Train at 145 St. to 167th St. / Grand Concourse.

4 TRAIN to the 161 STREET/YANKEE STADIUM
STATION. Walk east three blocks to the Grand
Concourse, then, walk north four blocks along
Grand Concourse to 165th St.

Bus
Bx1 or Bx2
to 165th St. and Grand Concourse

BxM4A / BxM4B
Express bus to and from Manhattan

Curtain Call

2010-01-30T11:16:00.001-08:00

Ananse
All screengrabs courtesy of David Flores

This week, the Bronx Acting Ensemble premiered their children's theater production of Ananse, at the DreamYard Art Center. Bronx Art Collective participants made the masks, costumes and set design for the production. Here are highlights of characters in costume.

BAE performed the piece five times to children ages five to eight. Families and friends also attended. BAC participants led a pre-show workshop for neighboring school groups. Children participated in face painting, storytelling, and the creation of noise-makers, as part of the "rain and thunder." The audience was given signals when it was time to use the noisemakers by the actors.

The actors wore handmade costumes and masks designed by BAC participants. Both BAC and BAE shared ideas and collaborated as to how the characters should be portrayed. BAC made masks using plaster and created a mold of each actors face, then designed it to the actor's character. With the costumes, BAC used different types of cloth and chose ones most appropriate for each character.

As for the set, it was made up of a series of projections and silhouettes. Creating a theater in the round, the actors also used 2D painted props cut from cardboard.

All in all, the play was a huge success! Everyone that attended enjoyed it and laughed hard. And we all learned a very valuable lesson - to treat your friends as you would like to be treated.

The end!

On to our next project!!

Ananse Mask-Making

2010-01-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Greetings! BAC has been busy making masks, costumes and props for BAE's production of Ananse the spider. Here are some pictures of us at work casting actors faces. Curtain call will draw soon!

MOMA, Ananse and Tim Burton! Oh My!

2009-12-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of pulpfashion.com

On December 12th both BAC (Bronx Art Collective ) and BAE (Bronx Acting Ensemble ) went on a field trip to MOMA! We had a wonderful time. Our main purpose was to see the Tim Burton Exhibit.

BAC participant Kevin, commented that while Tim Burton's artwork is "interesting, twisted and abstract", he thought "it was unusual to see this work at the MOMA." Edwin, the BAC intern thought that the Tim Burton exhibit was "humorous, even though a bit cruel."

While at MOMA we were looking for inspiration and ideas to help us with our current project. We are working alongside BAE to produce a play for children about Ananse the spider. During this trip we picked up a lot of ideas for costumes, scenery and props.

After viewing the Burton exhibit we walked through MOMA's many galleries for inspiration.

We had a wonderful day! Our next post will detail the behind the scenes making of Ananse, until next time!

Ananse Theater Production

2009-11-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

This week B.A.C. is working on costumes and masks for the B.A.E. theater production of Ananse the Spider.

Ananse is a character in West African folklore. He is always portrayed as a trickster who uses others to do menial tasks for him. Unfortunately the trickster is usually tricked in the end by his own trick!

Ananse will debut at the DreamYard Art Center the end of January.

Costumes are currently being designed for the different animal characters in this play. These characters include: a Spider, Wart-hog, Lion, Bird and Monkey.

2009-2010 BAC Program Launches with a Trip to The New Museum to see Emory Douglas

2009-10-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Screengrab courtesy of Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times

BAC is back in session and on October 17th we went to see the Emory Douglas show at the New Museum. Emory Douglas was a member of the Black Panther Party and he was known as "the "revolutionary artist of the movement."

His artwork was first published in the Black Panther newspaper, which advocated programs they initiated, while discussing politics and police brutality. Douglas uses a combination of printmaking, collage and drawing techniques to create simple yet powerful statements about the events of the times. The Black Panther Party started in the 1960's during the Civil Rights Movement in response to discrimination against African Americans, Hispanics, Immigrants and Gays and Lesbians.

Some things we noticed and learned from the exhibition are:

"What caught my attention was how many Black Panther's are still incarcerated to this day, for being activists and speaking there minds. Also Douglas' images are just, BAM! There's no censorship, they're very direct." - Edwin

"It was a big surprise to learn about all the public initiatives and services the Black Panthers provided for the community. They had free transportation for the elderly and a free breakfast program for kids." - Naralyn

"A map detailing the number of Black Panther Community Centers in the United States showed the divisions within our country. The south had fewer community centers, while the west and east coasts had many." - Carlos

"The Black Panthers rallied to free B.P. prisoners and provided lawyers, who fought to make them innocent and absolve them of crimes charged against them." - Karina

"I always thought the Black Panthers were violent. I never knew they had lawyers in their group, and that they knew it was legal to carry unloaded guns to protect themselves from police brutality." - Kevin

To learn more about Emory Douglas and the Black Panthers click here: http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/415

Highlights from The World: As We See It, Know It and Envision It

2009-07-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Naralyn Camacho's Red World viewed by BAC participants

In May DreamYard's BAC participants created their final show of the year titled The World: As We See It, Know It and Envision It, held at the Pregonis in the South Bronx in conjunction with BAE's play titled Is Anybody Listening? The event was proof that the Bronx is alive with talented young artists ready to express themselves and be heard. Celebrating a successful opening night with a packed house, over a hundred people came out to support BAC and BAE.

Here's are highlights of the event in case you missed it....

BAC members Edwin Velazquez and Diana Perea install Diana's series of photographs, the diagram for the installation is below.

Edwin Velazquez: Utopian School Model

BAE performs Is Anybody Listening?

2009 DreamYard Benefit and Silent Auction

2009-05-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

On May 4, 2009 DreamYard's annual benefit was held at 538 Park Avenue in New York City. Over 400 people attended the dinner event, with a silent auction of artwork created by DreamYard students held during the cocktail hour. BAC members Diana Perea and Naralyn Camacho worked the auction that evening. The money raised will help support DreamYard's art programs next year.

BAC members would like to send out a huge thank you to all the artists that donated work and to everyone that attended the event!!

A view of the silent auction

Auction highlights

Start bidding!!

In The BAC Studio

2009-05-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

BAC is currently preparing for their upcoming exhibit titled The World: As We See It, Know It and Envision It. The exhibit will be on view at Pregones on Saturday, May 16 & Sunday, May 17.

Opening reception for the artists will be held on May 16 from 5:30PM- 6:30PM. Following the art opening DreamYard's BAE will present their play Is Anyone Listening? at 6:30PM. The event is free and open to the public, so spread the word!! Pregones is located at 575 Walton Avenue in the Bronx.

Here's a behind the scenes look at some of BAC's very own preparing for the show:

BAC Visit to Gage/Clemenceau Architects

2009-04-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Screenshots courtesy of Gage/Clemenceau

I'll be visiting Mark Gage at Gage/Clemenceau Architects later today. I am building a model of a utopian school and am going to get some helpful tips from Mr. Gage on how to do this. I'll report back later on how the trip goes! You can learn more at gageclemenceau.com

- Edwin Velasquez

DreamYard Student Art Exhibition at Sothebys, March 24, 2009

2009-04-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

Dreamyard's Annual Student Art Exhibition at Sotheby's was a day of excitement. From curating the show to enjoying it. It was a busy day for us Bronx Art Collective participants.

How did we curate the show?

Photo's of the installation

We first ended up putting the artwork into categories: Place, Self, and Message. Then we decided which categories should go onto what sections of the empty space provided in the gallery. Since we had to look at how the visitors (and the young artists whose artwork was included in the show) would see the work, we thought to hang the art in a way that would flow to the other sections and themes, etc. Therefore we looked at the different art pieces and put them together like pieces in a puzzle. At first curating wasn't an easy puzzle to accomplish in the beginning, in fact it was actually quite nerve- wracking! But then once we got the idea of it, then it was easy. We weren't alone in curating the exhibition we were joined by Susanna Leval a professional curator and artist. She was giving us advice and very supportive on what a good job we were doing.

The day was very long for all of us putting up the artwork but then it was well worth it seeing the show being enjoyed by the young artists and they're families. Which was over 200 people !

BAC Participants and Curators: Christopher Aracena, Naralyn Camacho, Diana Perea, Eddie Paulino and Edwin Velasquez

Upcoming: 2009 DreamYard Art Exhibition

2009-03-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

For the past few weeks we have been jurying the work as we prepare to kick off DreamYard's annual art exhibition at Sotheby's. This year we will also be showcasing our work at the Bronx Museum as part of a traveling exhibition.

The jurying of the work is based on a judging criteria which was developed by BAC students. For a piece of artwork to make the cut, it had to meet at least one of the main themes. These themes included:

-The Self (Home, Cultural Heritage, Self Portrait, Symbollism, etc.)
-Place (Living Environment, Habitat, Community, Society, etc.)
-Message (Socio-Political Issues, Social Issues, Words, Story, Statement, etc.)

Along with this, we also judged the artwork based on technical aspects such as color, texture, shading, proportion, tone, etc. depending on the nature of the work and the medium used. We asked ourselves "Is the work age appropriate in terms of child development?" and "Was time put into the work?" "What do we see in this picture?"

The process of jurying took about two days total. This is just one step in the road to Sotheby's. The next steps include framing the selected artwork and curating the actual show. These steps will be discussed in future posts so stay tuned! We hope to see you at the show on Tuesday March 24, 2009...

Visit to Robert A.M Architects

2009-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

Two BAC participants, Eddie Paulino and Edwin Velasquez, have a great interest in pursuing a career in architecture. We are both students at In-Tech Academy 368 and are taking part in the Dreamyard BAC program. For one of our trips, our instructor decided to take us on a visit to Robert A.M Stern Architects, LLP. There we met Peter Morris Dixon, the Director of External Communications, or basically, the head of the marketing department. Dixon guided us around the firm where we saw architects working on current models. The architectural models impressed us tremendously, because of all the art and patience involved in the process. We were also able to talk with some of the architects, and they explained to us how they loved their jobs and that they had planned to work in an architecture firm since their childhood. This trip changed the way I thought about architects and architecture. Everyone always told me that architecture was all math, and thanks to technology and programming, it's still math. However, architecture isn't just math, so they were proven wrong. At Robert AM Sterns, I was able to experience that architecture is about the art of building structures, creating realities, and making an idea come to life.

BAC Participant Highlights

2009-01-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

My name is Evelyn Pazmino and this is my artist statement about my sculpture titled “Do You Live On The Right Side?”

My concept was to create a dollhouse that speaks about the issue of domestic violence because this is what people in the Bronx go through. By dividing a dollhouse in half, I juxtaposed two realities (What Do You See And What Is Really Happening?)

I made the right side of the dollhouse depict a family suffering from domestic violence. The left side is inhabited by the “ideal family”, (the TV or Hollywood family), where everything is always wonderful and perfect. The whole point of my piece was to put the audience in a difficult position, where they were forced to pick which side of the house they are closer to. This could either relieve them or fright them, and I think that made my piece very powerful.

The BAC Program taught me that I could place my audience in difficult positions or situations through my work and make change. Art is everywhere and people should give more credit to artists that help make our world a better place. I learned to connect with issues and concepts by looking at artists work and seeing how curators at NYC museums brought forth their work within a context; for example, I visited the Whitney Museum of American Art and experienced the Kara Walker Exhibition. It enlightened me on how African American people, and women more specifically, have been demeaned throughout the years in this country. It also helped me to see the entire world in a new light.

Evelyn Pazmino, BAC Participant 2007 - 2008

Frida Kahlo

2009-01-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

This is Frida Kahlo!!!! A Mexican Artist.

One artist that has grabbed my attention is Frida Kahlo. Born on July 16,1907, in Mexico. After an accident on a bus on September 17,1925, which caused her ribs, back, pelvis and collarbone to break, she began to paint self-portraits. She did this while in bed, in order to help pay for all of her medical bills. Although she was in bed for most of her lifetime, recovering from surgeries in a plaster body-cast, she continued with her life as an artist. Later on she started to walk again after a year of rest. She met her husband Diego Rivera and went to New York for sometime. Frida Kahlo didn't like New York at all because it was so different from Mexico. She was living in an apartment which usually caused her to see many things, which she painted eventually.

I like this piece because it shows how the United States of America is different from Mexico. And I also like the fact that she saw this when she was taking a bath, and ended up painting something she saw in her head.

This is also another piece showing New York, and in the middle you can see Frida Kahlo's dress. The buildings in the back cover the entire background, which made me understand that New York City has many people living there.

This painting has Frida and her husband being held by a lady, half light green (good) and the other half dark brown (bad). I think this painting shows the child Frida always wanted, and how that baby was going to have both Frida and Diego's DNA. But for some reason that baby was never going to be born and there was something, someone holding the baby back from being born. That someone, I think, is the face behind Frida.

Silent Auction

2009-01-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

In May, 2008, DreamYard hosted their annual benefit at Roseland Ballroom in Times Square. BAC participants helped coordinate the silent auction at the event, and shmoozed the crowd. Forty art works created by DreamYard students were sold, and the proceeds went to fund DreamYard's future art programs.

The crowd admiring all the beautiful art works up for auction 

Do I hear $100, $200, $300?!

Charlene Dubin's Animal drawing!!!

BAC Silent Auction Coordinators: Edwin Velasquez, Amber Ade, Charlene Dubin, Evelyn Pazmino and That Guy

2008 Spring Exhibition

2009-01-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

On May 28, 2008 the B.A.C opened their exhibition titled What Do You See And What Is Really Happening? at Haven Arts Gallery in the Bronx. The installation explored the media, the home, and the education system. Questions of truth and fiction were addressed in this multi-media installation with interactive ballot boxes, found objects, photos, a classroom reconstruction and large-scale drawings.

A video clip of "Whose Your Daddy" by Edwin Velaquez

That Guy teaching the class (gallery attendants) opening night

Charlene Dubin standing in front of her installation of drawings

BAC Participant Highlights

2009-01-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Consumption Is My Obsession, Digital Prints, 9X12”, 2008

As an artist I admit that I haven’t been exposed to the artwork of others. However, this changed once I joined the B.A.C Program. B.A.C has expanded my horizon and now art has more than one definition to me. Previous to the program, art was something that had to be an eye-pleaser. I eventually got to see that art goes way beyond that. Art is about making a statement in the most creative way. I’ve realized this by being exposed to such artists as Cai Guo Chang, Kara Walker, Lorna Simpson and Barbara Kruger.

I’ve also experienced that which the professional artist goes through, by exhibiting and curating shows. We were granted opportunities, exhibiting our artwork at the Haven Arts Gallery. We also juried, curated and led docent tours for DreamYard’s annual student art exhibition at Sotheby’s in January 2008.

These opportunities not only make a benefit to my future, but it also adds positive things to my character as an individual. It gives me pride as well as showing me how to handle my responsibilities. Public speaking made me proud as well as helped me develop more leadership qualities. The B.A.C. Program not only reassured me that I could have success at a young age, but the implications of that.

Amber Ade, DY Prep, B.A.C. Member 2007-2008