What: Arts-based afterschool program

Who: 20 2nd grade students

When: October-March

Where: P.S. 274 at Roberto Clemente State Park

Current Funders: New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council through a CASA grant from NYC Council Member Vanessa Gibson.

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Goals: Children in the LFM program:

• Develop and deepen their own fine arts skills, visual thinking and understanding of artistic expression through instruction and hand-on projects.

• Learn about the process used to conceive of and fabricate artistic installations.

• Be exposed to the professional art world by building relationships with arts educators and artists.

• Share their child-expert input with artists/teams who are prototyping installations, allowing artists to benefit from a child’s perspective and children to develop voice and self-confidence.

• Practice critical thinking and problem solving, creativity, and visual literacy.

• Gain a basic understanding of the natural flora and fauna found in the Bronx near the Harlem River, and where our water comes from.

• Develop empathy and a sense of responsibility for the natural environment and historic landmarks within the Bronx.

• Learn how they can live a healthy life by becoming more active and exploring the natural resources.

• Be inspired by the teaching artists to follow their passions, work hard and focus on accomplishing their dreams.

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Program Description:  

The Bronx Children’s Museum, in collaboration with SCAN and Roberto Clemente State Park, worked with 20 second grade children as part of the “Little Friends of the Museum” After School program to provide fine art sessions from October 2019 to March 2020 at Roberto Clemente State Park. Teaching artists Javaka Steptoe, Natalie Collette Wood, and Christopher Gomez guided children in a continuation of our “Arts Builds Community” initiative by working with the children to create installations that will be displayed in our new BxCM facility in early-2021. 

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The main project which children worked on were watershed collage murals, which were displayed in a winter art reception for caregivers and guests of the park.

 

TESTIMONIALS

 

"My favorite part of making art is putting glue and putting pictures on top of other picture."

-Samantha

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"I feel proud when I make my artwork." -Hanif 

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"NYS Parks is delighted to host an afterschool art program at Roberto Clemente State Park with the Bronx Children’s Museum, PS 274 and SCAN. This is our fourth year and has been the most difficult to date with the closing of schools in March. From October to March BCM’s afterschool art program at the park utilized the natural resources to create captivating collages inspired by the water cycle and the natural environment found at the park. Students developed their own visual voice through the medium of collage enhancing the park and the lives around them. Thanks to BCM’s teaching artists, students were able to develop their own artistic voice through a process of research and reflection while learning about the rich resources of the park. NYS Parks is proud to co-sponsor the program through our Connect Kids program, along with the generous support of NYC Council Member Vanessa Gibson."
-Leslie Wright, Roberto Clemente State Park/ PS 274

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