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Look | Young City School Students Exhibit Art at Manhattan Gallery

A new exhibition displaying art made by New York City public school students opened Tuesday at Studio Gallery in Midtown Manhattan.

The show, called "Littlest Learners," features the work of pre-kindergarten through second-grade students from 25 schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

Michaile Brooks, a University of Illinois at Chicago graphic design student visiting New York, stopped into the gallery at 1 East 53rd Street after seeing a blue-and-red block print depicting a bird made by Arely Bravo, a second-grade student at P.S. 123 Suydam in Brooklyn.

"This picture is just sheer joy," she said. "I think that's something that we forget, you know, the older we get. We forget the sheer joy of creation and play. I really like the colors and the shapes."

Brooks added that she liked the exhibit's focus on arts education.

"One of the first things that is always on the chopping block is arts and music," she said. "So whenever I see things like this it always makes me happy because it makes me realize at least somebody recognizes the importance of art and expression in children's lives."

The student artists made the 53 drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures on view with the help of Studio in a School, a non-profit that provides arts instruction to students at more than 120 Title I schools across the five boroughs.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. and Saturday from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.

The exhibition includes 53 drawings, paintings and sculptures made by students at 25 schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
The exhibition includes 53 drawings, paintings and sculptures made by students at 25 schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. (Photo by Abbie Fentress Swanson)
The pieces shown here were made by second-grader Jake Rodriguez, first-grader Elias dela Cuadra, first-grader Harini Burke and second-grader Logan Levinstim at The Neighborhood School in Manhattan.
The pieces shown here were made by second-grader Jake Rodriguez, first-grader Elias dela Cuadra, first-grader Harini Burke and second-grader Logan Levinstim at The Neighborhood School in Manhattan. (Photo © Elsa Ruiz)
Michaile Brooks, a University of Illinois at Chicago graphic design student visiting New York, checks out some of the work in the “Littlest Learners” exhibition at Studio Gallery.
Michaile Brooks, a University of Illinois at Chicago graphic design student visiting New York, checks out some of the work in the “Littlest Learners” exhibition at Studio Gallery. (Abbie Fentress Swanson)
(Photo © Elsa Ruiz)
Four of the works in the show are collaborative projects, like this mural done by second-grade students at P.S. 59 in Brooklyn.
Four of the works in the show are collaborative projects, like this mural done by second-grade students at P.S. 59 in Brooklyn.

Students who made the work include: Shekeyah Bonas, Shade Brodie, Kariell Brooks, Qualik Brown, Jaream Eason, Tatiana Fennell, Annamarie Galarza, Delgad Gonzalez, Janiya Harvey, Marquise Henry, Trevon Jones, Rocio Mejia, Kamili Pollot, Johannys Peralta, Desiree Quinonez, Brianna Reynaud, Emily Rivera, Quadir Robinson, Malik Saunders, Rawyahfaris Shuaibi, Jostyn Tavares, Michelle Taveras, Nicolas Villar, Brehea Williams, Cristian Wilson.

(Abbie Fentress Swanson)
(Photo © Elsa Ruiz)
This head is by Catalina Castella, who is a first-grade student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn.
This head is by Catalina Castella, who is a first-grade student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn. (Abbie Fentress Swanson)
Second-grader Jadiel Espinal stands alongside his piece. He's a student at P.S. 46 in Manhattan.
Second-grader Jadiel Espinal stands alongside his piece. He's a student at P.S. 46 in Manhattan. (Photo © Elsa Ruiz)
Ganeshshrie Seebalack, a first-grade student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn, had this piece in the show.
Ganeshshrie Seebalack, a first-grade student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn, had this piece in the show. (Photo © Elsa Ruiz)
The mask in the center is by Ganeshshrie Seebalack, a student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn.
The mask in the center is by Ganeshshrie Seebalack, a student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn.

The works clustered around Seebalack's piece are (Clockwise from the piece depicting a girl with pigtails at the top): Carolyn Garcia, P.S. 94 in the Bronx; Julia Kossakowski, P.S. 49 in Queens; Xavier Abreu, P.S. 112 in Manhattan; Pauline Khu, P.S. 134 in Manhattan; Amanda Lin, P.S. 134 in Manhattan; Charde Harvey, PS 191 in Manhattan; Milagros Lopez, P.S. 123 in Brooklyn; Winnie Ng, P.S. 134 in Manhattan; Luca Minovici, P.S. 75 in Manhattan; Isabella Lindsay, P.S. 75 in Manhattan; Anthony Merino, P.S. 200 in Manhattan.

(Abbie Fentress Swanson)
(Photo © Elsa Ruiz)

This wooden sculpture was made by pre-Kindergarten students Jadaliz Agramonte, Augustine Caraizaca, John Collado, Dalvin Fernandez, Camila Ferrera, Brandy Guzman, Averyanna Jirmnson, Lia Leonardo, Redmond Lin, Antonio Martinez, Ethan Ortiz, Hansel Perez, Sasha Quinones, Alany Rodriguez, Zenely Rodriguez, Ailyn Solis and Grace Vargas from the Educational Alliance in Manhattan.

(Abbie Fentress Swanson)

These artworks are by (Top row, L to R): Jerry Zhou, P.S. 213 in Queens; Danny Wu, P.S. 42 in Manhattan; and Aileen Xu, P.S. 205 in Queens; (Middle row, L to R): Julianna Meditz, P.S. 49 in Queens; Celine Lubin, Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn; Iqra Waheed, P.S. 139, Brooklyn; Mashfiq Mahadi, P.S. 139, Brooklyn. (Bottom row, L to R): Matthew Olivos, P.S. 238 in Brooklyn; clay sculptures by Jesse Peterson, Quinn Brady, Esme Graf and Renzo Castrucci from The Neighborhood School in Manhattan; Jasmine Lin, P.S. 205 in Queens.

(Abbie Fentress Swanson)
Celine Lubin made this sculpture of the head of an elephant. She’s a first-grade student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn.
Celine Lubin made this sculpture of the head of an elephant. She’s a first-grade student at Hellenistic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn. (Abbie Fentress Swanson)
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