Young Exhibition Makers 2019
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
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Young Exhibition Makers 2019
InJustUs aims to share different viewpoints of various social injustices in the hopes of educating visitors. The exhibition features various artists that explore a multitude of mediums such as digital illustrations, painting, drawing, photography, and video. Each of these artists uses their medium of choice to aid in them displaying their ideas and thoughts in a creative way! As teenagers spanning the ages of 13-19, the curators of InJustUs chose topics and artworks that matter to them IN THIS MOMENT. They felt that Kings County Hospital is the perfect space to showcase InJustUs as it is in the center of Brooklyn, where a majority of the curators are from. The curators of InJustUs hope the exhibition serves as a mirror of the community’s concerns.
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Young Exhibition Makers 2019
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Special Thanks to:
No Longer Empty’s education programs are supported by Con Edison; Exploring the Arts; Malka Fund; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; The Berk Foundation, and generous individual supporters. In-kind support is provided by Materials for the Arts and Kings County Hospital. For more information visit: www.nolongerempty.org
To schedule a tour contact duneska@nolongerempty.org
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
The Young Exhibition Makers have formed curatorial groups around themes that matter most to each of them. Each theme considered in direct relationship to community wellness:
InclUsive seeks to increase representation of the complicated nature of gender and sexuality. Our Lives Matter broadcasts the reality of police brutality and how it affects people of color throughout the world. Listen aims to spread awareness regarding mental health and stresses the importance of how different mental illnesses impact people’s lives. Love Without Borders addresses immigration under the Trump Administration. Who You Are explores how race and ethnicity play a role in everyday life and aims to ensure visitors walking through the work will leave with a stronger sense of empathy, and a smile.
check out their website: bit.ly/InJustUs
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INCLUSIVE GENDER & SEXUALITY
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
Through InclUsive, we hope to establish an avenue for artists to display their pieces that focus on the current role of gender and sexuality in everyday life. When people view these works, we hope to inspire change or at least increase the representation of the complicated nature of gender and sexuality. The artists chosen have used painting, as well as digital art, to focus on people other than heterosexual men. A recurring theme in the works featured being the human body and its importance to us. Through this exhibition we aim to challenge the way that the media portrays women, and folks that identify as LGBTQ.
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CURATORS
Carlitos Rodriguez
Janae Stanford
Nazair Deondre Francois
I AM Poem & Wordbank ANDROGYNOUS- partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex
INCLUSIVE-not excluding any section of society or any party involved in something
SEX-assigned at birth and based on reproductive organs
GENDERQUEER/ NON BINARY-denoting or relating to a person who does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions but identifies with neither, both, or a combination of male and female genders
SEXUAL ORIENTATION-a person's sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual GENDER-either the male or female division of a species, especially as differentiated by social and cultural roles and behavior RAINBOW-the general symbol of the LGBTQ+ community FEMININE- either the male or female division of a species, especially as differentiated by social and cultural roles and behavior MASCULINE-of or denoting a gender of nouns and adjectives, conventionally regarded as male LOVE-an intense feeling of deep affection RELATIONSHIP-the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected
QUEER-denoting or relating to a sexual or gender identity that does not correspond to established ideas of sexuality and gender, especially heterosexual norms PANSEXUAL-not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity ASEXUAL-not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity AROMANTIC-having no interest in or desire for romantic relationships DEMISEXUAL-a person who does not experience sexual attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection with someone.
Fill in the poem with the terms above.
I am ______________________ I wonder _________________________ I see ______________________________ I want _____________________________ I pretend __________________________ I feel _________________________________ I touch ________________________________ I worry _____________________________ I understand ________________________ I say _______________________________ I dream ____________________________ I try ________________________________ I hope ______________________________
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
I AM POEM
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1 Lainey Liriano
The Shadow
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
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2 Lainey Liriano
Who is to Blame?
3 Crystal Robertson
Inner Peace
1. Who is to Blame? is about a girl who was harassed and stayed silent. 2. The Shadow references the experience of a person who feels the need to keep quiet, which in turn pushes them to lose themselves 3. Through her work, Inner Peace, Crystal Robertson hopes to capture a black woman in a state of pure joy. Although, there is a lot going on in the background and in her life, she finds a way to remain content and care for her mental health. In this way, the woman depicted displays qualities of courage, kindness, and wisdom all of which are depicted as symbols on her jacket
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
About the Work
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OUR LIVES MATTER
POLICE BRUTALITY
CURATORS
Givienna-Geneva Gordon
Nilajah Batts
Elani Amélie Reyes
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
Our Lives Matter aims to bring awareness to the issue of police brutality currently happening in America. The curators’ main goal is to shine light onto the corruption taking place in police departments. Through drawing and painting, the artists featured broadcast the reality of police brutality and how it affects people of color worldwide. The decision to position this work next to the security desk was made in order to have a larger conversation about the public’s relationship to authority figures, as well as to inspire thought. By showing the works included in Our Lives Matter, the curators hope viewers recognize that simply because they may not have a direct relationship to police brutality does not mean that it is not happening. As a community we must all recognize the pain people are going through and take a stand. We must all recognize that OUR LIVES MATTER!
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What works do you think most relate to the following words?
Aggressive Allegations Biased Bitterness Consequence Cruelty Death Discrimination Distortion False Arrest Inhumanity Inimical Misconduct Prejudice Suering Unfair Unjust Violation
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
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1 Ameya Okamoto
Larnell Bruce
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
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2 Ameya Okamoto
Quanice Hayes
3 Mya Chamberlain
Protect the Youth
4 Dashiell Del Barco
The Barka
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
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5 Leila Eng Perez
People Control
6 Azriel McCall
Police Brutality
1. This image is comprised of two Memorial Portraits Ameya Okamoto created three years apart of Larnell Bruce, a 19-year-old black teenager from Gresham, Oregon who was brutally murdered by two documented white supremacists back in 2016. The image on left is the piece that she created for his family a couple months after his death and the piece on the right is a piece created the first week of March for his upcoming murder trial which begins March 7th - after being pushed back nearly two years. This digital diptych publicizes the injustice of his death and underscores the time it took for the City of Portland to schedule his murder trial. Placed next to next to each other, the radical difference in the two pieces is jarring - it shows the passage of time marked by the evolution in my artistic abilities, and also emphasizes just how long it has taken for his murder trial and his family’s search for justice to begin. 2. This piece was one of the first Memorial Portraits that Ameya Okamoto created through her work with the families of police violence victims in my hometown of
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
About the Work
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Portland, Oregon. A little over two years ago, on February 9, 2017, Quanice Hayes was fatally shot by a Portland police officer. Quanice was kneeling and unarmed when he was shot three times in the head with an AR-15 rifle. He was only 17-yearsold, and last March, a Multnomah County grand jury ruled the shooting was justified. I was only 16-years-old when I got the call about a fellow Portland teenager’s death from Teressa Raiford, who is the organizer of #blacklivesmatter initiatives in Portland. In the wake of his death, Okamoto was honored to be able to create a piece, work, and support the strongest family she had ever met. She chose to create these Memorial Portraits with digital art instead of more traditional media because it is the language of popular culture, easily shareable and accessible to everyone. This was also one of the first pieces published on news outlets and social media and used in place of an outdated mugshot of Quanice from a couple years prior. 3. Through her piece, Protect the Youth, Mya Chamberlain depicts how African-Americans are judged by their physical appearance. This should not be the case considering all people are people and have feelings, opinions, and experiences. Chamberlain hopes that her work
4. Dashiell Del Barco uses ink on paper to imagine an evil government taking the souls of its people 5. People Control Touches on how most states that argue against gun control are less racially integrated than those who support it. Leila Eng-Perez found this interested considering she feels as though the communities most affected by gun violence are those composed of minorities of color.
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
inspires humans to look beyond their individual thoughts and put themselves in the shoes of others.
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LISTEN
MENTAL HEALTH
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
Through Listen, we are hoping to spread awareness regarding mental health and stress the importance of how different mental illnesses impact people’s lives. We hope the artwork featured will make people more conscious of how they treat others. Through painting and digital art, the artists featured remind the viewer not to judge others and be empathetic. Having the artwork displayed in a hospital is extremely important as it will ignite conversations regarding mental health within a space that treats and cares for those who may be living with a mental illness.
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CURATORS
Benjamin Opoku
Kimani Brown
Marvens Volcimus
Nyia Savannah Pilgrim
Steph Martinez
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12
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8
4
10
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6
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Mental Health Crossword
11 Across: lacking knowledge or awareness in general 12 Across: psychotherapy in which a group of patients meet to describe and discuss their problems together under the supervision of a therapist
8 Down: the action or practice of meditating
10 Across: the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health
6 Across: feelings of severe despondency and dejection 7 Down: sudden episode of intense fear or anxiety and physical symptoms, based on perceived threat rather than imminent danger
9 Across: temporary phase of a disorder with features of depression or anxiety
5 Down: illness that brings severe high and low moods and changes in sleep, energy, thinking, and behavior
1: Art Therapy, 2: Positive Body image, 3: Exercise,
4: Relaxation, 5: Bipolar, 6: Depression, 7: Panic Attack,
8: Meditation, 9: Mental Breakdown, 10: Self love,
11: Ignorance, 12: Group Therapy
4 Across: the state of being free from tension and anxiety
3 Down: activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness
2 Down: comfortable and happy in one’s body
1 Across: a form of psychotherapy involving the encouragement of free self-expression through painting, drawing, or modeling, used as a remedial activity or an aid to diagnosis
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
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1 Ava Zeldman
The Void
2 Helenie Rudich
Beware Ana
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3 Maria Flores
Repaint the Stars
4 Marwa Ibrahim
Hemispheres
5 Marwa Ibrahim
Visual Cortex
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6 Marwa Ibrahim
Euphoric Amygdala
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7 Dashiell del Barco
The Watchers
8 Azriel McCall
Mental Health
9 Hector Rodriguez
6 stages
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Installation
About the Work 1. The artist, Ava Zeldman, created The Void during their recovery stage from an eating disorder in which she could not even look into the mirror when tearing up. Although, she was in an extremely low point she could always rely on art as an outlet. This piece displays the numbness she felt while studying her own reflection, and the feelings and memories of torment associated with it. She drew the piece using pen and ink, but the most essential step was when she sprayed fixative to make the ink melt. She wanted the droplet pouring down to symbolize her descent into self loathing. Fortunately, the artist is now in a space where she can understand the sentimental and artistic value of the piece-even without external confirmation. She is happy to now be able to say that this is no longer what she sees in the mirror, but is a reflection of the hormone influenced bide with mental illness that she has now moved past. 2. Maria Flores has struggled with depression for many years now and chose to explore art as a way to cope with her illness and express her emotions. This painting was
3. Helenie Rudich has been told that she is anorexic as a joke, however she learned that anorexia in itself is not funny. After much research, she realized that people all throughout the world suffer from this illness and that it is extremely serious. For that reason she chose to make this piece in order to spread awareness. 4. Hemispheres explores the structure of the brain. Mental Health is an extensive issue in the Marwa Ibrahim’s family tree. For that reason, Ibrahim grew up very aware of other’s issues with mental health and her own. This led her to be very interested in learning about mental and physical health and how they affect one another. In this particular piece, she explores the two halve hemispheres of the brain and how, although they look similar,
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
inspired by her mom who always told her that she can create her own future and imagine what it will look like. Every time she remembered her mom’s words it made her happy because it made her understand that she can create her own destiny. Therefore, though her piece, she aims to spread that same joy.
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serve different purposes. The right side of the brain is said to control creativity, perception, and holistic thought, whereas the left side of the brain functions in academics, speech comprehension, and logic. Humans purposely have two halves and should work to grow each part of the brain and use it to its full potential. 5. In the piece, Visual Cortex, Marwa Ibrahim chooses to explore the complexity of the mind which includes how it can often be unbalanced. Ibrahim believes that since humans are complex, they often experience anxiety attacks and unusual behavior. Ibrahim has seen the results of over-stressing within her own family and understands that it can often lead to a mental breakdown. She believes that although we cannot control our thinking, and stress triggers, we should try to avoid unnecessary tension that could possibly lead to mental health issues down the line. 6. Euphoric Amygdala explores how the mind is like a puzzle, and how humans must understand each piece in order for it to connect and feel peace. Ibrahim believes that we must understand how to connect each part of the mind so that we may use it to our benefit.
9. 6 Stages was inspired by a friend of Hector Rodriguez who urged him to draw out his emotions. This comment inspired him to think about painting and the relationship between one’s emotions and their mental health. In 6 Stages, Rodriguez different things that trigger his emotions such as anxiety, happiness, rage, confusion, laughter, and sadness. All of these triggers are important to consider since they do affect your mental health. Video A Look Into S.A.D aims to spread awareness regarding mental health issues. There are rarely any PSAs that address mental health. This film does so by discussing social anxiety, which affects many young people and how they move through life. Through this film, Emilie Hanson and Masha Norman hope to show people suffering from Social Anxiety that they are not alone.
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
8. Mental Health seeks to spread awareness on the increasing number of people, especially young adults, having to cope with issues regarding their mental health.
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LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS
IMMIGRATION
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
Love Without Borders addresses immigration under the Trump administration. The artists in this section of InJustUs explore the impact of the political climate in the past 3 years. Through painting, graphite, and digital art, the artists ask and answer difficult questions about xenophobia in the 21st century. The artists use their collective experiences as an impetus in the creation of their work. Choosing an artwork that says “no more� in different languages, as well as faces, we hope to be accessible and create an evocative experience for a plethora of audiences. Love Without Borders should be approached with empathy and understanding of both sides of the story.
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CURATORS
Jade Villegas
Umahani Hamad
Elhalm Abuali
Choose who you believe is the “Ideal American� and write why
female 1 steals to support family of 5 (only enough to get by) citizen and born in the US works as a waitress with low pay and any other job that will hire working on citizenship an activist that fights for wrongly deported immigrants
female 2 work as a nurse helps immigrants seek sanctuary in America as community service Immigrated from DR to escape drug crisis for a better life for her and her family.
male 2
Drug dealer in neighborhood
Works as a lawyer
Supports his family and fellow neighbors
Illegally immigrated from Salvador for a better life for his three children and himself
Follows all laws besides drug possession. Helps out in homeless centers and local shelters
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
male 1
Working on citzenship An activist who fights for wrongly deported immigrants.
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Jade Villegas (artist) explaining installation
Untitled
Through this work the artist, Jade Villegas, aims to give a voice to those who have not had a chance to speak for themselves in the media. Unfortunately, immigrants often do not have a chance to tell their own narratives and can therefore be spoken for in what is often a negative voice. Villegas uses drawing to give faces, names, and origins to those who are on the side of the conversation that is often silenced.
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
About the Work
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WHO YOU ARE
RACE & ETHNICITY
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CURATORS
Alirat Sanni
Hamza Azhar
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
Who You Are aims to leave visitors with a message they can think about after leaving the exhibition. The artists in this exhibition use a variety of materials to explore the concept of race versus ethnicity. The curators of Who You Are hope that visitors leave with a stronger sense of empathy, and a smile. They hope that by looking at the work they realize the importance of giving other’s space to be completely with who they are. That through communication we will all be able to better support one another.
Kalia Asencio
Michelle Muszkat Levine
Race & Ethnicity Questions 1. What comes to mind when you hear Race and Ethnicity? 2. What are the differences between Race and Ethnicity? 3. How can being multiracial or having a mixed ethnic identity affect you? 4. Can you be Latino (for example: Dominican, Cuban, Puerto-Rican) and black? Explain why?
Ethnicity: cultural background (for example: South-East Asian, North Eritrean, Middle Eastern) Race: physical characteristics (for example: hair, skin, eye color, bone structure)
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
Draw some symbols that represent you below
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1 Franklin Herrera
Racism
2 Hazelie Suazo
Untitled
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3 Hazelie Suazo
Untitled
4 Raja’ee Loney
Untitled
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5 Dashiell Del Barco
The Detective
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6 Hector Rodriguez
Color Doesn’t Shackle
4 Azriel McCall
Human Rights
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8 Sabrina Reyes
Different Skin Color
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About the Work 1. Franklin Herrera hopes that his piece, Racism, will empower people to resist a society that tries to disempower us. 2. This piece was inspired by Hazeilie Suazo’s hispanic parents who although share the same ethnicity are of a different race. Her father is Afro-Latino and mother is not. Although, this caused problems in their relationship they stuck it out hence why although both heads are fading away they stay together 3. This project was originally created for Inktober and the prompt was poison. Hazeilie Suazo decided to explore poison in relationship to her hispanic heritage and pay tribute to her mexican roots by creating a sugar skull. 4. Considering the end of Black History Month, and the beginning of Women’s History Month, Raja’ee Loney is interested in how women view their skin specifically the various shades of color.
6. Hector Rodriguez painted Color Doesn’t Shackle to show that no one should have to endure the pain associated to discrimination. The hands showing how society could be stronger if we all came together and were no longer prejudice. 7. Human Rights aims to address the fact that we should all be considered equal because we are all humans. 8. Different Skin Color was inspired by conversations of Race in the artist’s, Sabrina Reyes, school.
Young Exhibition Makers 2019
5. This work depicts a detective who only sees things and black and white, commenting on how society often looks at complex situations in very simple ways.
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Janae Stanford
Givienna-Geneva Gordon
Nilajah Batts
Marvens Volcimus
Nyia Savannah Pilgrim
Nazair Deondre Francois
Elani AmĂŠlie Reyes
Benjamin Opoku
Kimani Brown
Steph Martinez
Elhalm Abuali
Jade Villegas
Umahani Hamad
Etharr Ahmed
Hamza Azhar
Kalia Asencio
Alirat Sanni
Michelle Muszkat Levine
To schedule a tour contact duneska@nolongerempty.org
Carlitos Rodriguez