The talented young artists of the Arts in Action program will be showcasing their work on Friday night at 711 Amsterdam Avenue (94th street), and everyone’s invited.
Peter Salwen clued us into the background of the nonprofit arts program:
This little school began as a parent-run and parent-staffed program within P.S. 87 around 1990, after the Board of Education eliminated art teachers from the elementary schools. It thrived there for many years, with parent volunteers providing the in-classroom instruction after first learning the day’s lesson from master teacher Angela Tripi-Weiss, who created the award-winning structured art program that still forms the core of the AIA curriculum.
After the Dept. of Education restored (some) art funding, AIA has continued as an independent, not-for-profit after-school, weekend and summer art program, serving neighborhood families (including a percentage of scholarship students) as well as a portfolio-prep “academy” for La Guardia, Art & Design etc. high-school hopefuls.
Mainly (for your purposes), the kids learn a lot and produce gorgeous, imaginative work that’s a helluva lot of fun to look at. The student art show is always a treat for the eyeballs, and word is that Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (a long-time friend & supporter) will be coming by tomorrow evening as well.
Images via Arts in Action.
This is one of the finest art programs for young children in the entire city. Children learn to understand the creative process and as a result, the pieces they produce are spectacular.