ARTSPOT 2014 was the Bronx Children’s Museum’s very first outdoor Saturday summer pilot program specifically envisioned for children living in NYCHA Mitchel Houses in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx with little or nothing to do during the summer weekends. With the support of Mitchel Houses Tenants’ Association, funding from New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, guidance from Museum teaching artists and educators, and the involvement of their parents, grandparents, and community volunteers, 50 children participated in the program.

 

“Our goal was to give the children at Mitchel Houses a safe outdoor place for them to reimagine their environment by channeling their creativity and transforming discarded materials into a little bit of beauty,” said Mott Haven resident, ARTSPOT Program Manager and teaching artist Luisa Escalera.

 

The program ran outdoors for six Saturdays in August and September 2014 integrating collaborative play, sculpture, music, painting, mural-making, drumming, and bubbles providing a colorful environment.