News Archive

LEAP'S 10TH ANNUAL STUDENT ART EXHIBIT NOW ON DISPLAY"

Hosted at the Citigroup Building in Long Island City, Queens
Running now through the end of October, LeAp (Learning through an Expanded Arts Program) is displaying student art work in the Citigroup Building in Long Island City in its 10th Annual Student Art Exhibition. **

From handcrafted fashion designs to Keith Haring-inspired 3-D Relief sculptures, the Citigroup cases and atrium boast colorful art works by LeAp’s diligent young artists. This year’s exhibit also includes highly-detailed graphic novels influenced by the progressive movement of the early 1900s, as well as vibrant, color-popping murals, sparked from bird walks through Central Park, among many more displays. Participating in a wide variety of LeAp programs throughout the year, including Active Learning Leads to Literacy Program (ALLL)—a federally-funded program that uses all the arts to teach literacy—and our award-winning afterschool programs, students were taught the academic curriculum through a hands-on, arts-based approach.

If you happen to be wandering around Long Island City, please stop by to admire the exquisite art by these young talented artists and celebrate LeAp’s great work in NYC public schools citywide!

Participating schools this year include:
MS 203X – GRAPHIC NOVELS AND POETRY
MS 267K – PICASSO GUITARS
MS 352K – GRAPHIC NOVELS AND POETRY
Newcomers High School – FASHION DESIGN: STYLE, PATTERN, AND TEXTURE
PS 19Q – EVOLUTION: FROM DINOSAURS TO BIRDS
PS 32X – FLAGS OF OUR LIVES
PS 33X – POP ART: SHAPE AND FORM
PS 56K – ERIC CARLE ILLUSTRATIONS AND MASKS
PS 69X – EVOLUTION: FROM DINOSAURS TO BIRDS; WATERCOLOR RESISTS
PS 73X – GARDEN HABITAT: A BIRDS EYE VIEW; MARSHLANDS: BIRDS OF CENTRAL PARK
PS 132X – EVOLUTION: FROM DINOSAURS TO BIRDS; WATERCOLOR RESISTS
PS 306X – LITERARY SOCK PUPPETS
PS/MS 315X – THE MAGICAL RAINFOREST

**The Citigroup Building is located at 1 Court Square, Long Island City (off the 7 Train Court Square Stop). Admission is free. Open daily to the public from 7am- 7pm.

Since 1977, LeAp’s programs in music, dance, theater, and visual arts have served more than two million New York City public school students. LeAp provides in-school residencies, afterschool workshops, parent workshops, teacher trainings, and assembly programs. LeAp is committed to improving the quality of public education through a hands-on, arts-based approach to teaching the academic curriculum. LeAp empowers students to reach their full potential.

   

LEAP LAUNCHES 10-PARK STUDENT EXHIBITION (see dates and times of local events)

NYC STUDENTS SPEAK OUT ON SOCIAL ISSUES
THROUGH ART IN HISTORIC CITYWIDE PARKS EXHIBITION

NEW YORK—LeAp’s student citywide public art exhibition kick-off at Union Square on May 19th was a huge success! Our top city officials and guest artists were there to honor LeAp students—School Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott, Commissioners Adrian Benepe and Kate Levin and Christo! Students in ten New York City public middle schools from all five boroughs presented their public art pieces—school lunchroom tables transformed into colorful works of art that address important social issues in their communities and the world—comprising the largest student art exhibition in the history of NYC parks, created by Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp) in cooperation with NYC Parks & Recreation.


Three of the student art tables

The tables will be showcased as part of “A View from the Lunchroom: Students Bringing Issues to the Table,” an citywide to be installed in ten community parks citywide (two in each boroughs) and will be on display through August.

BRONX – TUESDAY, JUNE 7
9:00am – Claremont Park with students of 219X (top of park near gazebo - Teller Ave at Morris Ave (off of East Mount Eden Ave)
10:30am – Crotona Park with students of Accion Academy (at tennis house along Crotona Ave between Claremont Parkway & Crotona Park North)

BROOKLYN – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8
10:00am – Sunset Park with students of 53K (in front of recreation center on 7th Ave at 43rd St)
12:00pm – Fort Greene Park with students of 369K (picnic area – entrance on Myrtle Ave between St. Edwards St and North Portland Ave)

STATEN ISLAND – TUESDAY, JUNE 14
10:00am – Snug Harbor with students of 373R (near greenhouse– entrance Richmond Terrace at Tysen St)
12:00pm – Silver Lake Park with students of 25R (behind dog run – entrance on Victory Blvd at Eddy St)

QUEENS – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
10:00am – Forest Park with students of 75Q
(in Jackson Pond Playground corner of Myrtle Ave and Park Lane South)
12:00pm – Juniper Valley Park with students of 9Q
(near flagpole – entrance at Juniper Boulevard South at 78th Street)

MANHATTAN – THURSDAY, JUNE 16
10:00am – Sara D. Roosevelt Park with students of 188M
(on Houston Street between Chrystie Street and Forsyth Street)
1:00pm – Central Park with students of 169M
(at basketball courts by Great Lawn – entrance at 85th Street and Fifth Avenue)


Developed by LeAp’s Public Art Program, this fourth-annual citywide exhibition seeks to empower young people to have a voice in their communities to speak out on issues such as gangs, violence, homelessness, drug abuse, healthcare, and cultural diversity, among others—and become catalysts for social change through their art. Lunchroom tables are used as a canvas for this project as a symbol of student ideas and conversations.

LeAp teaching artists worked with students in ten schools to explore community issues, study the history and practice of public art, and ultimately create beautiful works of art on the surfaces of the lunchroom tables for public display. In addition, internationally-renowned Guest Artists Christo, Julian Schnabel, Milton Glaser, Audrey Flack, Tom Otterness, Vito Acconci, Christopher Wool, Emma Amos, Julie Heffernan, Will Ryman and Seth Wulsin met with students to discuss their work and the power and impact of public art.

Students at The Island School 188 in Manhattan addressed the issue of domestic violence through creating a game board mural about choices you make in life and their consequences. PS/IS 25R’s Staten Island students took on the problem of bullying in their vibrantly colored artwork, while students in Queens at PS 9Q examined the need for good health and nutrition. Manhattan’s students from 169M explored the issue of homelessness and Brooklyn students of 53K examined the good and bad attributes of their community and the need to maintain a positive outlook in life to overcome adversity, depicted in a dynamic and powerful work of art.

“LeAp’s Public Art Program gives our students a citywide platform to showcase their artistic talents and generate awareness for important issues facing their communities,” said Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott. “We are thrilled to have LeAp as a partner in our efforts to enhance arts education in the schools.”

“Once again New York City’s schoolchildren will become the city’s youngest public artists this summer, thanks to the efforts of LeAp,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “There is no better place to kick off this annual, socially-minded exhibit than in Union Square Park, where New Yorkers have been broadcasting their ideas for over a century. The students’ thought provoking artwork is sure to enliven the city’s parks and raise awareness on the issues that are most important to them.”

LeAp’s Public Art Program exhibition was developed in cooperation with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and supported by HSBC Bank USA, N.A., Hot Topic Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Keith Haring Foundation, Kinder Morgan Foundation, Mariano Brothers Specialty Moving, Cher Lewis and Daughters, Astoria Federal Savings, Richmond County Savings Foundation, The Compleat Sculptor, Zabar’s, Custom Metal Products and KADKO.
Over the past 35 years, LeAp’s professional artists, dancers, musicians, actors and writers have provided arts-based education programs to over two million children in grades K-12 throughout New York City. For more information, visit www.leapnyc.org.
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"LEAP HOSTS MAJOR CITIWIDE EVENT MAY 19TH!"

On Thursday, May 19th at 11:30am in Union Square Park (14th Street side), you are invited to help us kick-off the largest student exhibition in NYC parks history!  Please join new School Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott and Commissioners Adrian Benepe and Kate Levin in honoring LeAp’s student artists who have expressed themselves on important community social issues through their art.

Three of the student art tables.


The tables will be showcased as part of “A View from the Lunchroom: Students Bringing Issues to the Table,” an exhibition launched at Union Square Park on Thursday, May 19th  at 11:30 am and then installed in ten community parks citywide (two in each boroughs) and will be on display through August. Developed by LeAp’s Public Art Program, this fourth-annual citywide exhibition seeks to empower young people to have a voice in their communities to speak out on issues such as gangs, violence, homelessness, drug abuse, healthcare, and cultural diversity, among others—and become catalysts for social change through their art. Lunchroom tables are used as a canvas for this project as a symbol of student ideas and conversations.

At Union Square, students will be joined by artists Christo, Audrey Flack and others as well as Commissioner of NYC Parks Adrian Benepe, NYC School Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott, Commissioner of NYC Cultural Affairs Kate Levin, Sr. Counsel & Sr. Policy Advisor Wendy Gellman, Deputy and NYC DOE Visual Arts Coordinator Karen Rosner.

LeAp teaching artists worked with students in ten schools to explore community issues, study the history and practice of public art, and ultimately create beautiful works of art on the surfaces of the lunchroom tables for public display. In addition, internationally-renowned Guest Artists Christo, Julian Schnabel, Milton Glaser, Audrey Flack, Tom Otterness, Vito Acconci, Christopher Wool, Emma Amos, Julie Heffernan, Will Ryman and Seth Wulsin met with students to discuss their work and the power and impact of public art.

   

“LeAp Congratulates the Winners and New York City Students in the August Wilson Monologue National Finals”

On Monday, May 9th, students from New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Seattle performed monologues from August Wilson’s legendary Century Cycle at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway as part of the 2011 August Wilson National Monologue Competition.   Winners received scholarships to Point Park University, a collection of August Wilson’s plays, and cash prizes. Congratulations to the winners--- 1st place-Johari Mackey from Chicago, 2nd place-DeVaugh Robinson from Pittsburgh, and 3rd place-Aubrey Taylor from Seattle ---and the New York City participants Cheyenne VanDyke from Curtis High School, Chasity Tuck from Fordham High School, and Tyronickah Buckmire from Brooklyn Theater Arts High School. All the performances were moving, engaging, and masterful---we look forward to seeing these students on Broadway again one day!

   

"LeAp Students Meet With World-Renowned Artists"

LeAp’s Public Art Program engages students in 10 schools to explore social issues in their communities, study the history, practice and power of public art, and ultimately create a final artwork expressing themselves on important community issues using a school lunchroom table as a canvas. These 10 beautiful and meaningful artworks comprise the largest student exhibition in the history of NYC parks and the first to span five boroughs—summer 2011. Please join us for the opening of the exhibition and meet our student artists on Thursday, May 19th at 11:30am at Union Square Park (south side on 14th Street).

 

As part of LeAp’s Public Art Program, student artists from 10 schools citywide met with internationally-renowned guest artists to discuss their life and work. We are honored that this year’s guest artists include Christo, Julian Schnabel, Milton Glaser, Vito Acconci, Audrey Flack, Tom Otterness, Christopher Wool, Will Ryman, Emma Amos, Julie Heffernan and Seth Wulsin.

 

   

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