Infinite Revolution 15 Year Anniversary 2016

INFINITE REVOLUTION Artistic Noise’s 15th Anniversary Art Exhibit 2001-2016

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ARTISTIC NOISE MISSION AND PURPOSE Artistic Noise exists to bring the freedom and power of artistic practice to young people who are incarcerated, on probation, or otherwise involved in the justice system.

Through visual arts and entrepreneurship programs in Massachusetts and New York, our participants give voice to their experiences, build community through collaborative projects, and learn valuable life and job skills. Artistic Noise creates safe spaces where court-involved youth can be seen, heard and supported on their path to adulthood.

We believe the practice of making art offers opportunities for young people and communities to transform.

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INFINITE REVOLUTION June 15th - 27th, 2016 Commons Gallery | NYU

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CURATORIAL STATEMENT We are the voices of the future.

We are thoughts, interconnected.

We are judged.

We are forgotten.

We are drained of voice.

We are powerless, mistreated.

We are unknown.

We are hated.

We are killed.

We are underestimated minds, We are talent, unbridled.

We are optimistic sculptures.

We are courage.

We are human. Hear us make artistic noise.

CURATORS: Angel, Bishop, Eli, Jackiee, Juwan, Kasey, Lamont, Marcus

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IN RESPONSE Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Harlem, NY Teaching Artist: Laura Schneider

Briana I Am Woman This piece is a reflection on Hank Willis Thomas’s art on how advertisements are used to play upon people’s stereotypes. My piece is called & I Am Woman because women are used in advertisements for their bodies to make a product look sexy so people want to purchase the item. The media is only interested in their bodies and not their brain or who they really are. Also, a woman’s body is stereotypically supposed to be a certain size. The media only portrays White women who are small and skinny as beautiful, but this is not true. I combined a White woman who is small and skinny with a Black woman who is thick and curvy. Their heads are combined and bigger than their bodies to take attention away from their bodies and place the attention onto their heads to show women are more than their bodies. Let’s instead think about women’s intelligence and what they have to say.

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Hank Willis Thomas’ series Branded uses the visual language of advertisements to critique what is being sold. Through appropriating ads and brands, Willis Thomas reveals how corporations sell ideas rather than products—ideas that distort and exploit notions of race, gender, class, history, and individual imagination. Students responded to Willis Thomas’ images by choosing an advertisement to co-opt or by building off of his individual works. This process and the artists’ reflections are shared through a mini documentary made during A&E sessions. Watch it to learn more. (can be found on our website).

Angel A Black Man’s Head At the start of this project, we looked at images of a Black man with Nike branded on his chest and another image of a Black man with Nike branded on his head. There was also a Jordan logo getting shot in the head. We wanted to know why he was getting shot and why the bodies were scarred. A lot of Black people were branded when they were slaves. We wanted to know who made these images and why.

We learned the artist was Hank Willis Thomas. We watched a video of him talking about his life and why he makes certain art. His mom worked in the art world. His cousin got shot for no reason. He started asking questions about what it means to be a Black man.

He started to look at how Black men are shown in advertising. They are shown as objects rather than people. Nike ads are using Black bodies as logos or objects. Stereotypes of Black men are that they are angry and strong. They are either thugs or athletes.

In this picture it looks to me like his brain, his thoughts, have been branded or owned by Nike. Or taken over by stereotypes about who he is. Instead of a Black man’s head with a Nike brand on his mind, I painted a Black man who is a business man wearing glasses. You don’t see that many Black men wearing suits in movies or advertisements.

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OBSCURED IDENTITIES Queens ECHOES Program at NYC Department of Probation Brooklyn KJOP Program at NYC Department of Probation Teaching Artist: Jazmine Hayes Art Therapist: Jennifer Kind-Rubin Art Therapy Intern: Francesca DeBiaso

Jason Jason’s Face This is a portrait of me. I’m a serious person. The color was initially a mistake. I added too much black to the red so I decided to go with that color. Sometimes when you make a mistake, you can make something better.

Brandon Blue My portrait indicates that I am serious. Based on the color and image, this portrait is different than the red one. The blue portrait is a brighter color and it shines more than the red one.

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This project was designed to build a conversation focused on obscuring identity in response to Titus Kaphar’s “the Jerome Project.” Participants took self-portrait photographs and learned how to draw their likeness through the technique of gridding. They then created monochromatic paintings of their self-portrait drawings. After completing their paintings, participants decided what parts of themselves they either want to reveal or conceal. Black gesso is used on glass to obscure identity in response to Titus Kaphar using black tar to cover the faces of different men. The monochromatic technique was chosen to teach students basic color theory. Students also practiced contour drawing, gridding and collaging to build technique in preparation for their self-portraits. All projects are constructed to be forgiving, allowing room for growth and confidence.

Alicia Untitled

Shaniya Self Portrait I made this by mixing red with black and white. I chose red so the color pops so you can see every detail.

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OBSCURED IDENTITIES Queens ECHOES Program at NYC Department of Probation Brooklyn KJOP Program at NYC Department of Probation Teaching Artist: Jazmine Hayes Art Therapist: Jennifer Kind-Rubin Art Therapy Intern: Francesca DeBiaso

Matthew Me I chose the gray scale because it is simple. To me, simplicity means less drama.

Tytia 10

Jahshan Untitled

Keanu Untitled Some of the ugliest things in the world could be some of the most beautiful things to some people.

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MASK COLLAGES OCFS’ Brentwood Residential Center Dix Hills, NY Teaching Artist: Lauren Levine Teaching Assistants: Lauren Capobianco and Jennifer Henzi

Beyonce The Other Size of Me Behind my mask I am unique. I am someone who tries to inspire others. Some people may say I am dull but I am different. Some believe dull and different are the same, but being different is okay. .

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Beyonce Untitled .

In this project artists explored the contemporary medium of collage as it intersects with the historical role of the mask.

Artists investigated various collage techniques and styles, before developing their own paper mask conceptually bound to their identity. The mindfully executed masks found their completion through the photographical process, in which artists worked together to stage, edit and produce photographs of themselves wearing their masks.

Yahmize Saying A Lot

Yahmize Made of A Lot

Behind my mask I am strong, pretty, beautiful and brave. I don’t take nothing from no body and I be my own person. I do me.

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BODY PRINTS OCFS Highland Residential Center Teaching Artist: Lauren Adelman

Jesus Locked up You can’t escape. Once the cops get you they got you in jail. You have no freedom and you can’t get out when you want. This is a person looking out of the gate they are just looking they can’t get out they’re trapped.

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Contemporary artist, David Hammon’s, created a series of Body prints in the 60’s and 70’s. Hammon’s spoke of these works as his “moral obligation as a black artist to try to graphically document what I feel socially”. It felt timely to revisit these works and the concepts behind the creation of them with Artistic Noise participants in 2016. Although these prints are dealing with some very complex issues, the act of creating them is actually quite celebratory, playful and completely messy. The young men at Highland Residential Center decided on a gesture that represented how they felt that day. Their emotions responded to their incarceration, their love of family and also the playful quality of the project.

Using vaseline (Hammon’s used grease) the artists covered either their faces or hands and pressed these onto large sheets of paper. We then dusted the paper with charcoal powder and when we removed the excess charcoal these beautiful and haunting images emerged. These workshops were so experimental, spontaneous and fun that even some OCFS staff got involved and made their own prints.

Council Feelings

Jesus Family

This piece shows my anger. I’m angry about how the system plays us; how it wants us to fail. The system tries to institutionalize kids. I need to keep moving and not let anybody bring me down and to see the positive in life. I did this by printing my hands. A fingerprint is distinctive, only one person has their fingerprint. These are my hands & the energy shows my anger. Most of the time I’m angry but I try to mask it with goofiness and humor and that’s how I stay positive.

There’s one face on the top and they are giving a hug and there are handprints around it meaning you’re locked into your family and you can’t get out. For me this is a good thing because I love my family.

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ANIMATION STORY Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Harlem, NY Teaching Artist: Laura Schneider Teaching Assistant and Editor: Jody Borhani

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The Black Lives Matter movement has drawn attention to the treatment of people of color by authority, both physically and systemically. Participants discussed the stories of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and others. They shared perspectives on the tension between their own communities and police and also shared personal stories of encounters with police. Students chose a story to animate. In this narrative, a participant recalls being nine years old and her encounter with police officers after a shooting happened in the projects in which she lived. This was a collaborative piece with artists taking turns planning, drawing and photographing.

Artists: Jackiee, Eli, Bishop, Briana, Marcus, Angel, Kasey With help from: Lamont, Juwan

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FROM THE OUTSIDE IN Spectrum Detention - Dorchester, MA Arts, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program - Boston, MA Teaching Artist: Vanessa Ruiz Teaching Assistant: Minotte Romulus

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From the Outside In is a collaborative multi-layered cone-shaped sculpture, inspired by Russian nesting dolls, called “matryoshka.” The tallest, outside cone is 2’ tall. The five layers of this piece represent the inner selves of our participants as “dolls.” Youth participants brainstormed imagery for the different layers, which represent the different layers of self, from outside persona to innermost being. The outermost doll represents the “outer self” which is visible to the public. The second, smaller doll represents the “Inner Self”, depicting our participants tough histories. The third doll depicts our participants’ hopes and dreams of having a happy family, graduating from school, traveling, and owning a nice home. The fourth shows their fears of death, drugs/overdosing, and continued incarceration. The final and deepest nested doll represents their “core” and what keeps them strong during hard times.

Artists: Adulina, Alianna, Angelina, Chantay, Christal, Cristal, Dani, Destiny, Estephanie, Jasmine, Jenasis, Jennifer, Jessica, Julianna, Katheleen, Kelle, Mecca, Quasaia, Schaquana, ShaAsia, Shana, Skye, Yanelissa

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THE FACES OF ST. NICK’S PROJECT Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Harlem, NY Teaching Artists: Lauren Adelman, Francesca DeBiaso and Ebony Assistant Teachers: Angel, Briana, Bishop, Eli, Jackiee

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This project was a partnership between residents of St. Nick’s Houses, Artistic Noise and Community Solutions through the Mayor’s MAP Initiative. St. Nick’s is a NYC Public Housing Development directly across from Artistic Noise’s storefront space. In this 4-month collaboration 14 paintings were created. These 14 paintings were then exhibited in the lobby of all 14 buildings of St. Nick’s Houses for 5 months. To begin the project Artistic Noise led brainstorm sessions with St. Nick residents and community stakeholders as to what they wanted the paintings to express and represent. The theme of community and building connections emerged. The background of these paintings were created by young children living at St. Nicks during a Saturday art workshop. The symbols found in the background relate directly to the themes chosen. Over the course of many months Artistic Noise collected photographs of St. Nick residents. Each painting is a composite face made of many faces of residents in each of the buildings the painting was created for. Over 100 people were involved in this project led by our youth leaders and teen curators. This project culminated in an exhibition of all 14 paintings, followed by a parade Led by live drumming we parade the paintings through St. Nicks and installed 1 painting in the lobby of each building.

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IN CONVERSATION Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Harlem, NY Teaching Artist: Laura Schneider

Bishop Capital Steez Interview “If you had another chance what would you do different?“ -”Nothing is a mistake cause every decision you make in that moment u felt it was right, so naa no regrets” “Did you accomplish what you wanted?”

-”I mean accomplishment is a staircase not a door, feel me, so I feel that I really woke people up out of the matrix. Also I think we stayed true to our original goal which is overthrowing the government …”

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Eli Biggie

“Thank you for actually speaking with me today, Biggie”.

-“No doubt” “How can we change the world we live in?”

-“We cant change the world unless we change ourselves” “Any advice for the youth on the streets today?”

-“Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest”

In Kendrick Lamar’s album “To Pimp a Butterfly,” he edits together snippets of interviews with Tupac so that Tupac appears to be answering questions asked by Lamar. The result is an imagined conversation between Lamar and his late idol that highlights their shared beliefs and the power dialogue and reflection. Participants listened to the interview several times, noting the type of questions asked and the tone of the conversation. They then chose a role model, gone too soon, that they would have liked to have spoken with. Each artist first came up with the questions, then mined interviews, lyrics, and speeches of their role model to reconstruct a conversation with them. To create the imagery, artists appropriated photographs of the subject, transforming the images by adding the unique patterns and doodles of their own hand. Artists then carved images of the role models into linoleum and created a series of prints.

Jackiee Lil Snupe “ Its such an honor to meet a person like you, a person like me, a person who came from the hood, still questioning how you did so good,” -“I did what I had too, to make it through, I did what anybody would do, but only people like us understand the move,” “ I understand you went through a struggle but I’ve been there to, drugs and charges, man I used too look up to people like you, but than I realized there is more too music than what you do, positivity is key it’s the glue, its my strength and its my glue. “ -“ It’s a simple issue of to different views, I speak of negativity so people can avoid what I do, but you kids take it wrong and follow my every move, the government gave me a label one I no longer stand up to, a criminal but in reality I’m just a kid with mistakes who finally grew. Don’t be labeled by others that isn’t you, find yourself and you will find what is true, continue to be you.”

Angel MLK

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THE NEW JIM CROW Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Harlem, NY Teaching Artist: Laura Schneider

Briana Sandra. Why? This project was brought about from The New Jim Crow book. It states, “from 1997 to 2007 the number of women in prison has increased by 8332%.” This quote stood out to me because females now are being arrested for unjust reasons. Most people have misconceptions about crimes that aren’t true. For example, people believe that people in jail deserve to be in jail, that jails treat people humanely and that jail is just a way of punishment. I chose Sandra Bland as the focus of my piece to prove this. She was arrested for a driving ticket, then mysteriously died in lock up.

She didn’t deserve to be there in the first place. She died for no reason.

Kasey Two Sides to a Story The crack epidemic not only killed families but ruined generations to come till this day. Sadly it was mainly distributed in low-income neighborhoods where people of color lived. Crack caused a lot of bloodshed due to addiction and drug wars.

My artwork shows a low-income community being washed out by a fire hydrant. The fire hydrant is a symbol of hope but also of fear. The people in the water have their hands up. I took them from photographs of protests in Baltimore and photographs of young kids in the hood playing in fire hydrants. Even in all the drug chaos in neighborhoods, kids and people are still resilient, and focused on living life.

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All of our students at Artistic Noise are, or have been, involved in the juvenile justice system. Artistic Noise workshops allow space to process the many, culminating daily experiences that a young person endures in the system: standing before a judge, walking through metal detectors, living in locked rooms, etc. Expanding from personal narratives, discussion in workshop naturally turns to addressing the larger societal factors at play that shape our age of mass incarceration.

In the advanced workshop, A&E, participants read the introduction of the book The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. They call upon research, personal stories, imagery, and more, to create works that disrupt misconceptions about incarcerated or disenfranchised people. The artists worked with materials in innovative ways to create physical disruptions within the artwork itself.

Eli What is Race?

Juwan Untitled

What is Race?

Is it defined by skin color or emotion Is it defined by rage or a simple notion Is it defined as a pro or a con Is it defined as a right or a wrong Can you see it Can you smell it Can you buy it Can you sell it What’s the difference between a black man and white man What the different between a dark man and a light man We talk the same We bleed the same We walk the same We need the same So what is race?

My artwork shows lots of young African American boys getting locked up. The reason why I used different faces is because all kinds of African American children are incarcerated because of their race.

Black kids get locked up for crimes that white kids wouldn’t get locked up for. Another reason is that I wanted to show the different emotions, like pain, that they felt.

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MANIFESTOS Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Boston, MA Teaching Artist: Eva Joly

Shana

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In this project, we explored the chants and phrases of protest movements and their power to inform, make demands and capture collective imagination. By examining text in art and visual culture and by reading and discussing artist manifestos including Martine Syms’ Mundane Afrofuturists Manifesto and Merle Laderman Ukeles’ Maintenance Manifesto, participants wrote and revised their own Manifestos, pertaining to their experiences, opinions and goals as young women. These longer pieces of writing were then edited to convey the core message of their author using the precise and direct format of a protest banner.

Dani

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COLLAGE STORIES OCFS Brentwood Residential Center Dix Hills, NY Teaching Artist: Cindy Maguire Teaching Assistants: Tatiana Bermeo and Amanda Crosby

Kendra The Life of Animals This picture shows that animals are important and that we should save animals.

I am an animal lover.

Tamara Untitled 28

Sepia Stories/ Self-Image This project provided specific guidelines for collage work in mixed media, teaching students how to build a visually unified and compelling image. The project allowed for great freedom in thematic exploration.

Girls developed the themes themselves, choosing to address issues of poverty, beauty, social acceptance, racism, suffering, and forgiveness, among others.

Jenny No Help!

My artwork shows the struggle of people. You should pay attention to the words. If you’re going to spend money make sure it’s helping people or a cause.

I hope that when you look at the artwork you will understand the struggle people are going through.

Melinda Organized Chaos Pieces of a place that no longer exists. These are put together to show that there are some things that you will always remember. It shows rusty antiques, an old school full of intuition and wonder. Why not put a little chaos in your life?

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15 YEARS OF ARTISTIC NOISE: A Timeline

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2001 | H.U.M.A.N. (HEAR US MAKE ARTISTIC NOISE) IS FOUNDED IN BOSTON, MA

Back in 2001, when I made Do You Have Any Time for Me? I was 17 years old. I remember thinking: “Why did I have to get into trouble to get the help and attention that I needed?” What I meant was that, growing up, I didn’t have many positive role models. I didn’t know much beyond what I saw around me. When I encountered Artistic Noise, I got mentored in a way that I hadn’t before. I met people and had experiences that took me away from my previous surroundings and gave me the skills and discipline to grow and to become a better person.

When I was given the opportunity to make art through Artistic Noise workshops, I wanted to indulge in it -because I never knew that I could express myself in this way. I loved the ownership of it. I loved that I could make something that was mine and that no one could make me change it. I was trying to find ways to express my feelings on paper and I liked the fact that I could make art about what was going on inside of me and then let the viewer take it however they wanted.

Making time for young people is important. Working at Artistic Noise, through our community Arts and Entrepreneurship Program, I engage our youth over longer periods. I have seen how many of them transition from being more careless participants to more reliable and confident young people. Over time, they develop a stronger work ethic and become stronger team players. They learn how to work well in a group.

Giving young people a safe space is also very important. Artistic Noise provides a safe place for youth to come and know that they can express themselves without being criticized for who they are. This safe space also allows them to get to know each other on a more personal level. I have seen young people who did not get along before joining our group and then, after about ten sessions, they started to become friends and work together on a common project.

Minotte Romulus Artistic Noise Co-Founder Assistant Director, Artistic Noise Boston 2006-present Board Member, 2006-2016 Artistic Noise Youth Participant, 2001-2006

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Minotte Timer Mixed Media Collage, 16” x 20” Time is running out for me and no one is paying attention. It makes me feel horrible.

Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at NFI Girls – Dorchester, MA Visual Autobiography Project Teaching Artist: Lauren Adelman

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2002 | ARTISTIC NOISE BEGINS OFFERING COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TO GIRLS GETTING RELEASED FROM SPECTRUM

At the beginning Artistic Noise was a “photo voice” project – designed so that girls in the juvenile justice system in Boston could document their stories and environments and “speak truth to power.” It was an opportunity for girls to tell their story and create positive change for girls in the future. We used black and white film cameras, and later polaroid cameras, and then used the images on their own or in multicolored collages.

Those afternoons on Queen Street and then later on Harvard Street in DYS girls detention were inspirational.

Girls photographed each other, collaborated to get the images that communicated how much they missed home, what they had experienced that led to their time in detention, their feelings of loss and of hope. It required real creativity to tell these stories and express these feelings in images that couldn’t show a face or expression. Girls used whatever props they could find---shooting through gauze, painting words on their arms to photograph, and shooting their shadows on walls and the floor. One incredibly creative girl had the idea to peel back the polaroid print and scratch the back to make it partially transparent and that became a vehicle to express the complicated mix of emotions felt by so many.

The shared process of telling each individual story is the core of Artistic Noise for me, and the results always inspire.

Francine Sherman Artistic Noise Co-Founder Director of the Juvenile Rights Advocacy Project at Boston College Law School Board of Directors, 2001-present Board President 2001-2015

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Francelle Untitled Photograph Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at NFI Girls – Dorchester, MA Visual Autobiography Project Teaching Artists: Lauren Adelman and Francine Sherman

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2003

Artistic Noise’s three founders are practicing artists. Artmaking is how we tell our own stories and how we have voice. No matter how different people are, visual art offers a shared language. Art allows expression without being tied to a single meaning, communicating in a different and more open-ended way than a sentence.

Creating and interpreting art can be an act of freedom.

This piece is from the Visual Autobiography Project, developed specifically for young women in detention at the NFI Girls Treatment Facility in Dorchester, MA. Through film photography and mixed media collage composition, content and color were discussed and explored. Each young woman created her own visual autobiography with pages drawn from her collages and photographs. The participants also wrote text to accompany each page of their visual stories. The project was designed to address the transience of this population, engaging young women who could participate for only a short time, as well as those who were able to see their complete autobiography through to fruition. To this day we continue to create projects with this in mind. The finished autobiographies and pages combined photographs the girls took within the facility, photocopies and magazine imagery introducing participants to mixed media as a viable form of expression.

The combination of creating artwork and then writing about that artwork created the framework that Artistic Noise has continued to develop.

Adrian’s powerful piece has become an icon of Artistic Noise’s history. At the time she created it, it felt so fiercely personal to me, representing her emotions surrounding missing her home. Revisiting this now, so many years later, it takes on a new meaning. Looking at the repetition of her crying figure as it almost pops out of the page, for me now references all of the young people who are incarcerated and missing home.

Lauren Adelman Artistic Noise Co-Founder Executive Director Artistic Noise Boston, 2001-2003 Executive Director Artistic Noise NY, 2008-present

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Adrian Missing Home Mixed Media Collage, 16” x 20” This is a picture of me crying from the DYS Center window missing my home.

Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at NFI Girls – Dorchester, MA Visual Autobiography Project Teaching Artist: Lauren Adelman

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2004

Then, Now, Later was a project created in 2004 by John Ewing, serving as the Director in Boston. During this time period, Artistic Noise focused on strengthening our community programs for girls who participated in our workshops both while incarcerated and during their transition once released. Artistic Noise fills the gap in services during this crucial time of transition.

The three pieces in this series were created for a book displaying artwork by young women in the Juvenile Justice System in Massachusetts. They are from the perspective of a girl going through the life crisis of incarceration. They are autobiographical. “Then” shows where she’s been. “Now” represents a period of transformation, and “Later” shows her vision for the future. In “Now” Diana used photoshop to create a digital photocollage depicting the struggles many of our young artists are grappling with. Today, 12 years later, this piece continues to inspire our young artists and whenever it is shown they are riveted by it.

Lauren Adelman Artistic Noise Co-Founder Executive Director Artistic Noise Boston, 2001-2003 Executive Director Artistic Noise NY, 2008-present

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Diana Now Photocollage, digital The fire represents the hard times I have had, the images in my head show what I’m thinking about and what’s making everyone in my community go downhill, and how I do not want to end up at the end of my life’s timeline. The water shows my new direction and how I feel when I’m avoiding things that will lead me right back into the fire.

Artistic Noise’s Art & Entrepreneurship Program - Roxbury, MA Then, Now Later Project Teaching Artist: John Ewing

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2005 |

FIRST NEW YORK PROJECT

Art education can become a tool for activism. The Banner Project, developed by Danielle McDonald and Lauren Adelman as Masters students in NYU’s Art Education program, laid the groundwork for the founding of Artistic Noise’s New York chapter three years later.

In a workshop with incarcerated girls at Brooklyn Residential Center, we came together to discuss issues of identity and to explore art as a vehicle for sharing one’s personal stories. We talked about how these stories can raise awareness about the lived experiences of incarcerated young women. The teens created five banners, 3’ x 8’ tall which were showcased in a NYU sponsored exhibition in a downtown Manhattan space. Focusing on their experience of the New York juvenile justice system, the banners incorporated images such as hands, clouds and the words of a poem that represented who the young women were both individually and collectively.

The public exhibition of the banners at NYU created an opportunity for the girls to engage in dialogue with an audience that had little knowledge of their circumstances of marginalization. Incarcerated youth are rarely given the opportunity to represent themselves and their stories to a broader public. Too often, the public attention they do receive is negative. For this reason, an integral component of Artistic Noise is the public exhibition of our participants artwork. We have been organizing and participating in exhibits since our founding and our annual public exhibitions, which began in 2008, have been a culminating event of each year ever since then. Often, we are able to bring teens from lock-up to these exhibitions. We see these exhibitions as a powerful opportunity to create, even briefly, the kind of community we believe in.

Lauren Adelman Artistic Noise Co-Founder Executive Director, Artistic Noise Boston, 2001-2003 Executive Director Artistic Noise NY, 2008-present Danielle McDonald Artist-in-Residence, Artistic Noise NY, 2005-2013

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Beautiful, Dominique, Donesha, Chris Dedication - Motivation – Education Latex Paint on Canvass, 6’ x 15’ Three things we Need to Survive in this world A blunt - street knowledge - cash, Three things the hood needs just to get by - why, Because the government as well as the president aren't doing anything To keep our faith alive, 'Tis the year '05 and we are brainwashed with mesmerizing lies That only the institutionalized are able to realize Because we are the ones who are sentenced with time From 3-5 to 6-9 but no, never mind, I will survive.

Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at Brooklyn Residential Center – Brooklyn, NY Banners Project Teaching Artists: Lauren Adelman and Danielle McDonald

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2006

Visual arts practice provides an avenue for communication that is powerful, direct, and immediate. At Artistic Noise, art projects engender a feeling of freedom and power when youth artists find a means to personalize them – to give voice to their own experiences. Our hope is always that our young participants will take ownership of the concept and implementation of the art they create. In this way, our youth artists experience the satisfaction of genuine authorship and recognition.

In the Sepia Stories Project, youth considered their choice of imagery and manipulated multiple images to tell a personal story. They were asked to include certain elements (like: landscape, portrait, pattern, text, etc.) as well as to consider compositional issues such as the placement on the page and activation of the edges.

The final results of the Sepia Stories Project are strikingly intimate and forceful. Our young artists address issues like race, family, violence, body image, identity, community, violence, peace, poverty and inner desires / aspirations. When given the freedom and opportunity to do so, they tackle larger themes that relate powerfully to themselves, their environments and their relationships to others.

Kate Jellinghaus Artist/ Educator, Westwood High School.

President of the Board of Directors, Artistic Noise 2015-present Board of Directors, Artistic Noise 2010-present Director of Artistic Noise Boston, 2006-2010

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Danielle Despite My Flaws Mixed Media Collage, 14” x 17” My piece is talking about all the different patterns and pieces of someone. They are still beautiful, no matter how mixed they are.

Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at Spectrum Girls – Dorchester, MA Sepia Collage Project Teaching Artist: Kate Jellinghaus

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2007

The process of making art can be about imagining possibilities and generating creative solutions to social problems. This approach to art education places young people squarely in the center of the creative process, engaging them in opportunities to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers – as artists and agents of change.

In this stop-motion film project, Violence Transformed, our challenge was to address the theme of violence and transformation through an original video clip. Given that the girls’ identities needed to be protected and no faces could be filmed or voices recorded, making a short film required creative problem-solving from all involved. Girls in lockup began the project by critically thinking and responding to the question: “What is violence?” We decided we wanted to send an original message in the film about overcoming violence. The quotation we all chose (from the girls’ writings) was: “Violence is like a train, it makes stops, but it’s up to the passenger to get on or not.” The youth artists felt that this idea about violence focused on our own power to be agents of peaceful change by stepping away from violent situations. They chose to write this sentence directly on their own hands (each hand was one word), as a way to highlight the message that each of us takes responsibility for our own actions. Literally -- we take it into our own hands.

Nineteen girls in juvenile lockup participated in this six-week project. Girls developed a visual narrative about transformation through drawing, painting, collage, stop-motion animation and dance -- to the soundtrack of Lauryn Hill’s song “Everything is Everything” and the refrain “after winter, must come spring.”

Kate Jellinghaus Artist/ Educator, Westwood High School.

President of the Board of Directors, Artistic Noise 2015-present Board of Directors, Artistic Noise 2010-present Director of Artistic Noise Boston, 2006-2010

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Violence Transformed Stop Motion Film Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at Spectrum Girls – Dorchester, MA Violence Transformed Project Teaching Artist: Kate Jellinghaus

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2008 | FIRST ANNUAL ART EXHIBIT IS HELD AT NYU’S COMMON’S GALLERY. WITH THIS OUR FIRST ANNUAL CATALOG WAS CREATED.

Although we had been facilitating art projects with incarcerated girls in Brooklyn for several years, in 2008 we officially started the NYC branch of Artistic Noise. This expansion grew from an identified need. Many people, especially Ana Bermudez, a progressive advocate and program director for youth in the justice system, urged us to start Artistic Noise in NY because they felt court-involved youth of New York City needed a program like ours. In our first year we offered Studio Art Workshops at Riker’s Island, The Brooklyn Residential Center and The Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevy Milbank GED Program and City Challenge.

This portrait project, implemented in 2008, was so successful that we have returned to it many times over the years. Participants studied the historical context in which German Expressionist prints were created as a point of departure, discussing how the events in the world affected the portraits created during this time period. Like the German Expressionist artists, students discussed the issues in society that affect their lives.

The young artists began by learning to draw for printmaking through creating charcoal drawings of a German Expressionist portrait of their choice.They created expressive self-portrait drawings that they then carved into linoleum and hand printed. As a collective group, these prints offer a portrait gallery of youth involved in New York City’s juvenile and criminal justice systems. Most importantly, they are self portraits: we see these young people through their own eyes.

Farah’s In the Dark is a powerful example of this series. The stark contrast of the black and white print add to the power of what her work asks of the viewer. The energetic lines in the hands and background draw us in and we cannot look away.

Lauren Adelman Artistic Noise Co-Founder Executive Director Artistic Noise Boston, 2001-2003 Executive Director Artistic Noise NY, 2008-present

Farah In The Dark Linoleum Cut Print My picture depicts a person in the shadow of a window. What you will notice the most is the details in the hands. They’re wrinkly and huge which depicts hard working hands. This print was inspired from an original artwork by Kathe Kollwitz. I drew this picture in charcoal and then carved it out from linoleum and then printed it. It’s beautiful anyway you perceive it. This print relates to me a lot and depicts all the hard work I have done in my life to become the person I am today.

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2009

Within collaborative art practice, the adult role becomes increasingly multi-faceted. Adults must be flexible enough to both take charge and let go. It is this conscious and reflexive action of stepping in and stepping back that is essential for fostering a deep level of youth engagement, youth participation, and youth voice. When we step in, we are aware of the need to create a safe and enriching space, organize and plan, motivate, facilitate, mentor, teach, share knowledge, and share ourselves. Alternately, when we step back, we create openings for youth to step into these roles. We must make the leap of faith necessary to yield responsibility and control of the project to the youth. A willingness to be self-aware and to shift perspective is essential when creating empowering contexts with youth.

This Ubuntu Quilt Project was born from such a “perspective shift.” The project’s theme, hair braiding, came out of what was initially a conflict of interest: girls in lockup had stopped coming to the Artistic Noise art sessions on Saturday afternoons because that was the time they were given to braid each others’ hair and that was their preferred activity. Instead of fighting this situation, we decided to use hair braiding as a theme for our next visual inquiry. After all, braiding hair is not only a symbol of sisterhood, friendship, self-esteem and beauty, it also is one of the most ancient forms of art.

We started this project by bringing in a video camera and giving the girls an opportunity to document the braiding process through stop motion photography. We then took stills from these sessions and projected them on paper on the walls and started doing sketches and paintings from the photos. From there, we started exploring hair braiding across time and place: from ancient Nigerian head sculptures (Benin) to present day hairstyles. We did weeks of drawings and paintings of heads, hair and head dressings, exploring different notions of beauty across cultures. Eventually, these drawings formed the source material for the quilted designs, which became the centerpiece of the Ubuntu quilt.

Over 50 people helped bring this project to fruition, including girls in the juvenile justice system, together with their friends, volunteers and teaching artists. The final quilt was entitled Ubuntu, which is a Bantu word that relates to human kindness and roughly translates to: “I am what I am because of who we all are.” Hair braiding is a perfect metaphor for Ubuntu because it is not only difficult to braid one’s own hair, it is not as pleasing or enjoyable.

Ann Tobey Associate Professor and Director of Juvenile Justice and Youth Programs at Wheelock College Board of Directors, Artistic Noise, 2008-present

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Ubuntu Quilt Krystal, Darlene, Jaharrie, Ashley, Dimonique, Alex, Lakeisha, Lanisha, Danniela, Tayla, Shamay, Nuishcka, Laquisha, Janessa, Debra, Nina, Nicole, Jessica, Jazzalyn, Anita, Kelly, Shatearia, Margaret, Talia, Khalia, Kamyyah, Chantel, Lakeisha, Dasha, Jibrie, Sayyid, Myleicia, Medina, Teirra, Nicole, Tyraya, Victoria, Neffi, Jaquell, Neferteari, Jai-lah, Victoria, Jaquell, Jai-lah, Jibrie, Kenny, Brianna Artistic Noise Mentor Artist: Diana Gomez Artistic Noise volunteers: Francine Sherman John Ewing and Caroline Bagenal Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at Spectrum Girls – Dorchester, MA Artistic Noise’s Community Program – Boston, MA Ubuntu Quiltmaking Project Teaching Artists: Kate Jellinghaus and Minotte Romulus

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2010

In 2010, our intensive Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial program really took off. Based at the Children’s Aid Society’s visionary Next Generation Teen Center in the Bronx, young people who were adjudicated to the LINC aftercare program joined with youth from the surrounding community to develop their creative voices and job skills. After a period of unpaid training, participants had the opportunity to apply for a paid position, earning an hourly wage. Over the course of the year, several young artists were promoted to the position of curator, taking on more responsibility as curators and entrepreneurs.

As the studio community solidified and each young artist’s skills expanded, some of our most committed youth moved on to a project called “Young NYC.” This project challenged participants to develop their own conceptually driven body of work. Inspired by artists like Andy Warhol, Lorna Simpson, and Martha Rosler, the young artists chose an issue affecting youth in NYC, and used their studio art skill to explore it. Fradeline, one of our youth curators, chose to paint portraits of average high school students in New York City, including herself, who had “been let down by this broken system” of public education. In her artist statement she asked, “Do you believe that schools in the biggest, and one of the richest, cities in the world give kids the education they deserve?” Knowing this, the gaze of this larger-than-life portrait can seem to ask that question of everyone who looks at it.

In addition to the intensive studio art program, one day each week was devoted to entrepreneurial projects.

Participants ran their own business ventures, designing, marketing and selling holiday cards and a line of hand silk-screened t-shirts. In the spring, our youth curators organized all aspects of Unfinished Business, the annual exhibition at NYU’s Commons Gallery—from writing the curatorial statement and selecting artwork, to designing the invitation and pricing artwork, to installing the show and talking with the public.

Tess Korobkin Phd candidate in Art History at Yale University Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art Vice President of The Board of Directors, Artistic Noise 2016-present Board of Directors, Artistic Noise, 2010-present Deputy Director, Artistic Noise NY 2008-2010

Fradeline Accepted Then Rejected Acrylic paint on wood, 3 24” x 24” panels I believe New York City does not prepare students for college.

These three people represent the average high school student that has been let down by this broken system. Do you believe that schools in the biggest, and one of the richest, cities in the world give kids the education they deserve? I don’t.

Artistic Noise’s Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program at The Next Generation Center– Bronx, NY Young NYC Project Teaching Artists: Lauren Adelman and Tess Korobkin 50

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2011

When we feel that we belong, that we are valued, that we have the power to transform ourselves and others, we feel powerful. Artistic Noise creates spaces in which our youth participants feel valued, respected and heard.

In Dress of Dreams, the participants at Spectrum Detention in Boston began by writing a journal entry about their hopes and dreams for the future. By starting with their own writings, the girls found ways to connect more immediately and intimately with the project and to personalize it. Over the next few weeks, the youth artists collaged images and words from their original journal entries onto paper panels for each section of the dress.

All of the panels were stitched together to create the final dress, which presents a collective portrait of the girls and their aspirations for a brighter future. In this way, the Dress of Dreams is a metaphor for belonging and acceptance, as each girl contributed constructively to a larger, beautiful, whole.

Julie Martini Director, Artistic Noise Boston, 2010-2015

Ana, Carmane, Felinesse, Jennifer, Kailee, Kendall, Rosie and Victoria Dress of Dreams Mixed Media Scuplture Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at Spectrum Girls – Dorchester, MA Dress of Dreams Project Teaching Artists: Julie Martini and Minotte Romulus 52

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2012

In 2012, Artistic Noise brought together young people in programs at various sites throughout New York City through a collaborative project. Artistic Noise has always focused on the power of individual stories. In the Storytelling Project we used that focus as the basis for building connections between individuals. The Storytelling Project was based on the belief that empathy and strength can be fostered when we have the opportunity to really listen to another person’s story and take the responsibility of transforming it into a work of art.

Youth and staff began by writing and recording autobiographical stories. Youth interviewed each other, their teachers and staff at their sites, allowing for meaningful connections to emerge. Building on the process of sharing and appreciating these personal histories, we began to plan artwork based off these recordings.

Youth swapped stories, by choosing an interview of another participant that touched them and committed to making that person’s story into a work of visual art.

This project exemplifies an integral component of Artistic Noise’s mission. Sharing and listening to the story of someone else through art allows us to explore what it means both artistically and psychologically to be in another’s shoes for a period of time. Although all the youth in our programs are involved in the juvenile justice system their individual stories are diverse and, when seen as a whole, transcend the stereotype of troubled urban teens.

Danielle McDonald Artist-in-Residence, Artistic Noise NY, 2005-2013

Anaya Farah’s Story Acrylic on wood, 2’ x 4’ How has your life been different than what you imagined?

Well, I actually have a job and my own place. I have a career, and I am on my way to becoming a social worker.

Why do you want to be a social worker?

Because I want to help teens out, because nobody helped me, nobody really cared what I was going through. ” Artistic Noise’s Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program – Harlem, NY Storytelling Project Teaching Artists: Lauren Adelman and Danielle McDonald 54

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2013

Much of what Artistic Noise does is inherently therapeutic - creating something out of nothing, visually depicting what cannot be easily be put into words. Therapy is also about relationship building. Deep, long lasting relationships are built at Artistic Noise between the participants and teaching artists and art therapists, and based upon these relationships change happens.

It wasn’t until 2012 though that Artistic Noise began a formal Art Therapy program through a partnership with the NYC Department of Probation. As a result we have had a licensed clinician on staff ever since. Allowing an art therapist to share the space and co-facilitate a workshop acknowledges that it is ok to seek help or support. By having an art therapy program, we provide additional support to those youth who request it or are mandated. This has enhanced Artistic Noise’s programming in ways we had never anticipated. The art therapist and interns have become incredible resources. Teaching artists reach out if a particular student is having difficulties; art therapists have visited Rikers Island and other facilities to conduct intakes or individual sessions with youth who are referred to us prior to their release into the community. Our therapists have also provided family therapy sessions and advocated for the participants in various aspects of their lives, particularly school and housing.

In 2013, the young people involved in Artistic Noise’s Art Therapy program, all of whom were on probation, investigated the probation section of Family Law: Family Court Act from New York State’s Family Courts.

Through an in depth artistic process, they altered the book to create It’s My Law. Within the pages of the altered book are the words, sentences and paragraphs that directly affect the youth’s lives. To create It’s My Law, the youth altered blown-up pages of the original text in any way they desired. Some participants created beautiful, visually striking pieces with text and magazine collage elements. Others focused on words - blacking out words to construct new meaning; cutting out others that were not understood. However, the participant I remember the most was one of our youngest. He was having a difficult time with the project and the group overall. At times, he would literally shut the group out by putting his head down. Otherwise, he was so disruptive that it was difficult for the rest of the group to work. The turning point was when he was introduced to the paper shredder and he began to methodically shred the text that we gave him. What happened after that was amazing – the room was silent not because he was feigning sleep but because the participant was carefully gluing the individually shredded pieces from Family Law into a hard bound book cover. He wanted no help from myself or the teaching artist, he just wanted to make order from something that was broken.

Yasmine Awais MAAT, ATR-BC, ATCS, LCAT Assistant Clinical Professor, Creative Art Therapies Department, Drexel University Director of Art Therapy, Artistic Noise NY 2012-2013 Board of Directors, Artistic Noise, 2013-present

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Israel Shredded Justice Mixed Media Collage Artistic Noise’s Art Therapy Program at the NYC Dept. of Probation – Bronx, NY Family Court Project Teaching Artists: Yasmine Awais and Alfred Planco

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2014

Community involvement is a hallmark of the work Artistic Noise does. The mural created in Crown Heights Brooklyn in 2014 is an example of how neighborhood outreach, organizational partnerships and new experiences can meet to produce a shared experience with lasting visual impact.

A local grocer generously donated the side of his family’s store with no caveat as to what the imagery on the mural should be. Instead he and his family wished to offer an opportunity for our teens to create something that resonated with them. We spent the first few weeks walking around the neighborhood shooting photos and canvassing for suggestions from those who lived nearby. This provided us with an abundance of ideas and the motivation to stay true to those people we spoke with.

The Beholder of Beauty mural derives its imagery from the architecture, atmosphere, daily activities and individuals both in the community as well as our group of young artists. In spite of dealing with long hours of direct summer sunlight, individual challenges and sometimes inclement weather, we often were bolstered and encouraged by those passing in their cars and on foot offering words of encouragement and a friendly honk of the horn. Neighbors would let us sit in the shade of their stoops to eat our lunches and take a break. Young children would come to ask if they could help or ask our young artists how they do what they do. I’ve always enjoyed being a silent partner to all of this and to observe our participants’ voices shift as the ownership and pride in what they do grows and flourishes. The store owner and his family were surprised and grateful to see their patriarch’s likeness included in the mural. Our young artists included it out of respect for taking a chance and trusting us.

Sergio Perez Artist-in-Residence, Artistic Noise NY 2012-2015

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Anaya, Cavier, Chriss, Christian, Darryn, Devante Ebony, Mardoche, Michael, Naji, Nick, Quinton Roland, Shaquille, Shateik, Smiley, Tiara, Tyriek Beholder of Beauty Latex Mural on outside wall This artwork is of peace, happiness and positivity in the community. It looks like a family portrait because it represents all the different people in one neighborhood. There’s more to Brooklyn urban areas than meets the eye, for only the people who live in the borough know all of it’s hidden beauty from hands on experience. The art expresses happiness by showing kids playing in the park, a lady with her son, the hand letting an eagle free. We hope this mural brings positive energy to this neighborhood.

Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at The Children’s Aid Society LINC Program – Brooklyn, NY Artistic Noise’s Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program – Brooklyn, NY Mural Project Teaching Artists: Lauren Adelman and Sergio Perez

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2015 |

MOVED INTO OUR FIRST SPACE A STOREFRONT IN

HARLEM

Artistic Noise designs lessons to allow a place of personal reflection. But what does this look like in response to major, difficult, societal events? How do we address these issues within the context of a workshop?

The events of the fall of 2014, with the shooting of Michael Brown and the death of Eric Garner, called on all of us to respond to violence against Black men by the police and the US criminal justice system more broadly.

Artistic Noise worked to discuss and process these tragic acts of violence with our participants.

Events like these force us all to confront systemic racism. Our workshops respond by honoring the need to pause, process and adjust. Young people have limited control over many aspects of their lives, especially youth involved in the court system. By stopping and starting again students take control rather than leaving their emotions and responses to be swept away. Setting aside current projects to choose how to respond to an event is a way of seizing control.

One War At a Time was one of many pieces created in 2014 and 2015 in response to the racism and injustice plaguing our country. The title, “One War At A Time” represents the constant struggle to fight for equality and fairness. It examines prejudice and how we treat one another and envisions how we want the world to change.

Visual art can turn devastating experiences into powerful acts of communication. To experience this is empowering for both the artists and the viewers.

Lauren Adelman Artistic Noise Co-Founder Executive Director Artistic Noise Boston, 2001-2003 Executive Director Artistic Noise NY, 2008-present Sophia Dawson Artist-in-Residence, Artistic Noise NY, 2014-present Laura Schneider Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Director, Artistic Noise NY, 2014-present Artist-in-Residence, Artistic Noise NY, 2013

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Allison , Daniqua, Desire, Dynestie, Fatima, Gloriana, Jaida, Jasmine, Juana, Kayla, Kyara, Latoya, Nasly, Natalie, Nashaunti, Nicole, Marthadarling, Shanice, Shana, Schquana, Skyiasha, Tahlia, Tina One War at a Time Acrylic paint on canvass Artistic Noise’s Studio Art Program at Spectrum Girls – Dorchester, MA Banner Project Teaching Artist: Minotte Romulus

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2016

Life is all about learning and growing. Who you learn from might be even more important than the lesson.

Sometimes as an adult you lose track of what it felt like to be child. You lose your compassion and lust for life. It’s not at all your fault, life can do it to the best of us. Learning to step back and hear the voices of the youth around you gives you a fresh perspective. Youth leaders are an important and vital part of society. As a youth leader, you are most vulnerable because you stand in a position where many folks don’t understand and see a need for you and others are dying for any enlightenment you carry. Young leaders bridge the gap that evolution is creating. Just as special as the youth leaders are the folks who give them the opportunity to lead. Giving the youth an opportunity to grow and glow is so important. At Artistic Noise that is genuinely our mission.

This piece is from a series about authority figures. We were given the task of choosing someone who we looked up to. It was really hard for me to choose someone I saw as a figure of authority. After considering the roles of all the people in my life I chose to do a portrait of Glady my career coach. He is the kind of person who doesn’t use his power to belittle those around him. He tries his hardest to uplift others and show them the abundance of greatness they are suppressing. I used glitter in my photo not only because I’m in love with glitter but because it symbolizes how radiant and vibrant he makes you feel. I wanted my painting to capture his essence.

Ebony Office Manager, Artistic Noise NY, 2015-present Exhibition Manager, Artistic Noise NY, 2014 Youth Participant, Artistic Noise NY, 2010-2014

Ebony You Have To Start Working On That...

Acrylic on wood, 20” x 32” So many people abuse their power and call themselves a figure of authority. Real people in REAL positions of power help lift you up. They get you where they are mentally and physically.

There is enough room at the top for everyone.

Artistic Noise’s Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program– Harlem, NY Figures of Authority Project Teaching Artist: Sophia Dawson

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FUTURE

Artistic Noise started as a small project, bringing weekly art classes to girls in one detention unit. Today, fifteen years later, we span two states and run multiple workshops each week at various sites for youth of all genders.

We have worked with hundreds of teenagers and given each of them the opportunity to process their lives through the visual arts; to learn, grow and transform in safe spaces. In all this time we have stayed true to our simple and focused mission: to bring the freedom and power of artistic practice to young people who are incarcerated, on probation, or otherwise involved in the justice system.

Looking forward, we see our small grassroots organization moving into the next phase of our development.

We continue to grow, with deeper roots and a stronger foundation. For years we have been a stage for our participants to be seen, heard and supported as they transition into adulthood. We are continuously adapting our programs to meet their needs by providing more focus on life and job skills to help them succeed on their own paths and creating leadership roles for those that are in it with us for the long haul. We are looking outward to engage our youth more deeply with their communities, and we hope to add those ties to Artistic Noise’s circle of supporters.

In the coming years, we will focus on youth leadership, strengthening our ability to help our young people thrive and excel. Every step we take in our next 15 years will be a step towards supporting that commitment.

We are thankful to everyone who has stood by us along our journey and welcome new friends into our family.

Together, we will provide our youth with the direction towards the futures they deserve.

Vanessa Ruiz Executive Director, Artistic Noise Boston 2015-present

Marcus Born of Knowledge Charcoal, Linoleum Print and Digital Rendering It’s not only the fact that I love to draw, it is rather I have to draw. Drawing is a way of relief, or a specific design of emotion figures, from the simplest of shapes and colors to the deep darkness of your head. What you draw, regardless of whether it is a sketch or a doodle, is a way of transferring to a different world. Art is a bridge formed out of imagination in order for us to travel so far that it can be written and drawn on the simplest piece of paper. You can draw or create who or whatever you want and the eraser is your enemy in reality. Why not draw? It’s as if asking a person why he is alive, no?

In the picture, the book I am reading symbolizes that not all power is obtained through money and strength but through the power of knowledge. In the background, the baby symbolizes that true power and knowledge is born by what you have learned. You are still a child.

Artistic Noise’s Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program– Harlem, NY VIP Symbols Project Teaching Artist: Laura Schneider 64

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STAFF BIOS 2016 Amelia O’Donnell Director of Development, 2015-Present Amelia joins us as Artistic Noise’s first Development Director. Amelia has experience building a nonprofit development program from the ground up. Previously she launched the corporate sponsorship program at the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston where she worked directly with major donors as well as the emerging artists they supported. Amelia also manages fundraising as VP of the Board of Directors at Wright Locke Farm. She presided over grant making as Chair of the Winchester Cultural Council, and has also served as an educator for several cultural organizations in the greater Boston area, most recently at the Institute of Contemporary Art. She graduated with a BA from Boston University, and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate though the Tufts University museum studies program.

Angel Curator, 2014-present My name is Angel and I am 17 years old. I go to school in Brooklyn. My school is called Grand St Campus. My favorite subjects are Forensic and US History. I have been in Artistic Noise for one year and six months. I’ve been promoted to clean before sessions. My favorite art medium is to paint and to make sculptures by hand. My goal for the future is to own my own cooking business.

Arturo Garcia Artist in Residence, NY 2016-present Arturo Garcia is a Classical Realism Painter and Arts Educator based in Brooklyn. Arturo was born in Mexico, and was raised between Mexico and Spain. He attended The National School of Plastic Arts in Mexico City. Upon graduating with honors, he began his career exhibiting in Mexico. Arturo became affiliated with “The Water Street Atelier” after moving to NYC. Arturo’s work has been featured in numerous national and international artists magazines. Arturo has taught art to many different audiences through non-profit organizations in NYC. www.arturogarciapainter.com Bishop Curator, 2015-present I’ve been with Artistic Noise since October 2015. I make art and I love what I do. I do it to the best of my ability. I was promoted to be Supply Manager after six months. I hope in the future to become a staff member at Artistic Noise. If that doesn’t work out I will still continue to make art.

I’ve been making art since I was a kid it’s what I’m meant to do.

Briana Exhibit Manager, 2014-present My name is Briana; I’m 18 years old. I attend Kingsborough Community College; I’m a soon-to-be sophomore in college coming this fall. I am majoring in Liberal Arts until next year when I get into the nursing program. My goal is to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in science to become an RN. I have been with Artistic Noise for two years. First I started at a program at Brooklyn Probation then transferred to A&E as a curator and recently was promoted to be Exhibit Manager of A&E. My favorite style of is painting. I like getting messy with the paint but it’s worth it because I paint pretty well.

Eli Curator, 2015-present My name is Sadiq but I prefer to be called Eli. Elijah is my middle name, so it’s no biggie. I just prefer that name. I currently attend school at Far Rockaway High School. My favorite subject is gym. I love to play basketball. I’ve worked at Artistic Noise for 11 months and my position is art/curator and entrepreneur. I am also the food service professional.

My favorite medium is visual art and pencil drawings. My goal in life is to accomplish my dreams no matter what they may be.

Ebony W Office Manager Present Ebony Office Manager, Artistic Noise NY, 2015-present Exhibition Manager, Artistic Noise NY, 2014 Youth Participant, Artistic Noise NY, 2010-2014

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is an artist from Brooklyn. She is using her time at Artistic Noise to not only build upon her skills as an artist but also to learn the ins and outs of running a non-profit. She hopes to use everything she is learning here to spread awareness about life after lock up to the people who don’t understand.

Francesca DeBiaso Art Therapy Intern/ SYEP Coordinator, NY 2015-present Francesca DeBiaso is an art therapy student currently living in Brooklyn, New York. She received her BA in Art History from Gettysburg College where she focused her studies on feminist art of the 1970s. While in college, she was the Program Coordinator for the Women’s Center and led co-ed healthy relationship discussions and facilitated art and recreational groups. Francesca has previously worked at the Guggenheim Museum and the Child Mind Institute, a research-oriented behavioral therapy practice located in Midtown Manhattan. She is currently at School of Visual Arts pursuing an MPS in Art Therapy.

Francesca strongly believes that art can help us access and integrate the various parts of ourselves to feel more cohesive and expressed.

Jackiee Curator, 2014-present Hey, my name is Jacqueline, also known as Jackiee. I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I’m 17 now but I can say I’ve been drawing since I was about 6. Ever since, I’ve been coming up with a master plan to achieve my goals. I’m currently in high school but my dream is to attend SVA, The School of Visual Arts. My ultimate goal is to become a tattoo artist, but I am also a political activist. I do speak my mind but I keep an open mind. I started off with simple pencil and paper but as the years grew my skills progressed and that’s something I am very proud of. I No longer just doodle or write poems, I speak of emotions through art.

Jazmine Hayes Artist in Residence, NY, 2015-present Jazmine Hayes is a visual artist born, raised, and based in Brooklyn.

She holds a BFA in painting from CUNY Queens College where she studied closely under Glenn Goldberg and Debra Priestly. Hayes uses her artwork to explore social topics often related to families of color and women of color as well. She has worked with community-based organizations across New York City as a muralist and teaching artist.

She believes that creating art with youth gives them an outlet of expression as it did for her at a young age. www.jazminehayesart.com Jennifer Edwards Berr Artist in Residence, Boston, 2015-present After receiving her BFA from RISD, Jenny earned her MFA from Yale School of Art. Having a wide range of teaching experience, Jenny has taught in the RISD photography department since 1998. She also holds licensure from Massachusetts Department of Education to teach K-12 and has taught drawing, two-dimensional /three-dimension design, photography, self defense, safety and decision-making and to children and teens. Her work has been published and exhibited nationally. She is currently working on a video portrait of trauma and survival.

Jen Kind-Rubin MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT Art Therapy Program Director, NY 2014-present Jen Kind-Rubin is a nationally registered, board certified (ATR-BT) and a New York State Licensed (LCAT) Creative Arts Therapist living and working in New York City. She earned her Bachelors degree at New York University (2003). While there, she studied at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, combining her interests in psychology and studio art to create her own concentration. A passion and enthusiasm for this combined interest led her to obtain her Masters of Professional Studies in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute (2011).

Jen has experience working with clients across all demographics, but has always had a particular interest in working with urban, at-risk youth. This focus has guided her professional career through numerous settings in New York, including homeless shelters (Covenant House and The Ali Forney Center), The Door, New York Foundling (foster care), and Brooklyn Leadership (an alternative transfer high school).

Jennifer Miller Art Therapy Intern, Boston, 2015-present Jennifer Miller is an artist from Wisconsin now living and studying in the Boston area. Currently an Art Therapy graduate student at Lesley University, Jennifer received her BFA from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater in 2009. Jennifer is a strong advocate for the therapeutic powers of art after relying on art for her own stress relief for many years. She recently implemented an art and craft program in a physical and occupational therapy setting. In addition to a love for all things art, Jennifer enjoys traveling, taking long walks with her dog, and spending time with her family.

Juwan Curator, 2016-present I’m Juwan. I am 19 and I attend school in Far Rockaway, NY. My favorite subject is Algebra. I have been at Artistic Noise for 3.5 months.

My favorite art medium is pencil drawing. A goal I have for the future is to make enough money to get my own apartment and to keep working hard.

Kasey Curator, 2016-present My name is Raheem but I go by the name of Kasey. I’m 21 years old, soon to be 22 years of age, and I have worked with a non-profit organization “ARTISTIC NOISE” since January 2016 as an Artist & Curator. My favorite subject in school was always literacy but science caught my eye with so many unanswered questions I had. One thing I enjoy when it comes to art is grabbing a writing utensil and drawing out anything that comes to mind. Even if my mind is blank, my hand knows how the blank thoughts look... Which is usually cloudy. In the next 5-10 years I can see myself doing bigger and better things such as having a steady income, a household and an ongoing career.

Lamont Curator, 2016-present My Name is Lamont and I’m a curator at artistic Noise. I attend FDAVI in Far Rockaway. I’m goofy, passionate, intelligent and a very good listener. I have been working for Artistic Noise since the winter of 2016.

My goal in the future is to be a professional music artist. Music is another form of art and another way to express yourself artistically.

Laura Schneider Arts, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program Director, NY, 2014-present Artist in Residence, NY (2013) Laura Schneider is an Artist and Educator living in Brooklyn, New York, and is thrilled to be working with Artistic Noise. She earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Art History and a concentration in Studio Art from Carleton College (2007). After moving to New York and working as an Artist Assistant and Gallery Assistant for a handful of years, Laura returned to school to get a Master’s in Art Education from New York University (2011). She has taught with many arts programs around the city, including Community-Word Project, TRUCE Arts & Media, and Wingspan Arts. Laura is currently working towards her MFA at City College and is excited to be leading Artistic Noise’s Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial program. Laura holds fast to the belief that art is a living thing, born of our history, enlivened by our humanity, and made powerful by our need for individual expression and social connection.

Lauren Adelman Co-Founder Executive Director, Boston, 2001-2003 Executive Director, NY, 2008-present Lauren Adelman is an artist and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. She received a BFA from The School of The Museum of Fine Arts and a MA in Arts Education from NYU. She co-founded Artistic Noise in Boston in 2001 and New York in 2008. Lauren also worked as an educator at the Museum of Modern Art from 2006-2013. She worked in the Community and Access Department at MoMA running partnerships with adults and youth involved in the criminal justice system. Lauren is a licensed Department of Education Teacher and has taught art in many varied settings such as public schools, juvenile detention centers, and non-profit arts organizations both locally and abroad.

Lauren has shown her own artwork nationally and has been awarded

residencies at The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY; Anchor Graphics, Chicago, IL and was most recently a visiting artist at The Artist’s Proof Studio in Johannesburg, South Africa. Lauren’s own artistic practice explores environmental and social issues through printmaking, drawing, animation and other media. www.laurenadelman.com Minotte Romulus Co-Founder Board Member, 2006-present Assistant Director, Boston, 2006-present Artistic Noise Youth Participant, Boston, 2001-2006 Minotte Romulus is an emerging artist, mentor and educator who has collaborated with John Ewing on several large-scale public art projects.

She has taught for St. Stephen’s Be Safe Program and led projects for Artistic Noise in both New York and Boston. Minotte has spoken at Boston’s Cyclorama, The Boston State House, The Cloud Foundation, Columbia University, The Massachusetts College of Art and most recently at The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Annual Conference in Washington DC. Minotte was first involved with Artistic Noise as juvenile delinquent and is now the Assistant Director of Artistic Noise Boston. As a former Artistic Noise participant she offers the young people she works with hope that they can succeed, follow their dreams and that anything is possible.

Raul Ayala Artist in Residence, NY, 2014-present Raul Ayala is an artist focused on drawing, muralism, and socially engaged art. His work has been part of several international group exhibitions and festivals. Ayala’s work reflects on the enviroment and is always looking for ways to redefine and construct identities within the Ecuadorean diaspora. He founded “Zona Libre,” an art workshop that was implemented in several detention centers in Quito, Ecuador, from 2004 to 2007. He used art teaching as a method to resist alienation for individuals deprived from their freedom. In 2012 he implemented “En/Contraste” a one year photography project and publication in two locations of a rural and urban area in Quito, Ecuador. Ayala was the recipient of the 2007 Empowerment Across Continents Fellowship of the European Commission in Budapest; the 2013 Create Change Professional Development Program of the Laundromat Project in New York City; and the 2014 Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artist of the New York Foundation of the Arts. Currently, he lives in Brooklyn and works as a teaching artist and muralist working for organizations like Groundswell murals and Justice Committee and helping building art and banners for marches and manifestations for social justice in New York City. www.raulayalablog.blogspot.com Sophia Dawson Artist in Residence, NY, 2014-present Sophia Dawson is a visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She attended the School of Visual Arts and obtained a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts in 2010. She recently graduated New York University with her Masters in Visual Arts Administration. Sophia’s personal practice aims to educate people on recent history and collective and individual struggles through her art. She has worked as both a teaching artist and muralist on a number of projects throughout New York City. www.ilovewetpaint. com Vanessa Ruiz Executive Director, Boston, 2015-Present Vanessa, better known as Nessie Ruiz, is an artist and educator originally from Miami, FL. She received a BFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design and a MFA in Visual Arts from the University of Chicago. Vanessa’s photographic work revolves around social issues affecting marginalized groups of children, both locally and abroad. Since 1999, she has been passionately involved with children-focused non-profits in the US, Sri Lanka, and South Africa where she has created and implemented art, empowerment and leadership programs for kids and teens. She has been a college photography instructor since 2010 and a die hard Dolly Parton fan since she was eleven. She believes wholeheartedly that art has the power to transform lives and has dedicated her own life to bringing that art to underprivileged youth. www.vanessaruiz.com

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By working with youth both in state custody and back in the community, Artistic Noise provides continuity for young people who are often experiencing trauma and upheaval in their lives. Our staff of teaching artists and licensed art therapists works with our participants to create safe, challenging spaces for creative expression. Using a variety of artistic mediums, youth explore themes such as friendship, loss, sexual violence, community, freedom, identity and their dreams for the future. This structured artmaking fosters critical thinking and problem solving skills that are beneficial to the teens' healthy psychological development.

Artistic Noise’s programs have three core components: ● Studio Art Workshops in Residential Facilities: Weekly workshops provide incarcerated youth with a safe and structured environment to document and process complex feelings and share their stories. ● Art Therapy Workshops: In NYC, Artistic Noise provides art therapy workshops for youth who are on probation, offering support in working towards a deeper level of self-awareness. In Boston, graduate level interns integrate art therapy into all of our programming. ● Art and Entrepreneurship Programs in Community Settings: In this intensive afterschool program, participants develop their creative skills as individuals and collaborators as well as their business skills as paid artists, entrepreneurs and curators. Once hired, youth earn an hourly wage as they work with their peers to create, market and sell original artwork and curate an annual art exhibit in a gallery.

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