The Sophomore Scholars visited two exhibits in and near the Parsons campus. The first exhibit, titled Off-Axis, feature work from the Sophomore’s foundation teacher, Yashua Klos, as well as work from well known artist, Kambui Olujimi. The exhibit revolves around the exploration of the “deconstruction of normalized structures of control to expose the power dynamics at play against black bodies”, as explained in the exhibit’s description. This exhibit is housed in the lobby of 55 5th Avenue, which is situated in Time Equities, Inc., which is a real estate firm, and right across the street from the University Center. The curator for this exhibit, Jenny, works for a real estate developer, under the Art-In-Building program. She described the job of a curator, as well as her intentions when curating a show like Off-Axis. Jenny also described her choice with working with Yashua and Kambui, she states that a show between two artists engages an interaction between their works of art. The Sophomores stated that the exhibit was subjective in its content, inspirational and that the work reflected the real world. A question Youth Advocate Kevin brought up was, “Is art imitating life or is life imitating art?”
The second exhibit the Sophomores visited was Test Bed, located across the street from Off-Axis, within 66 5th Avenue in Parsons. Luckily, the Sophomores were able to experience this exhibit on its last day. One must remove their shoes prior to entering Test Bed, but offered a comfortable space, where one is able to relax in peace. The Sophomores stated their experience was relaxing, nostalgic, soothing, as well as its feeling of wellness, tying it back to the their workshop a couple weeks ago on wellness. To end their day, they played a game of two truths, one lie.
After the Junior Scholars wrapped up their SAT Prep class, they worked with their Youth Advocates, Sophia and Elizabeth, on part two of their college essay writing workshop. The Scholars will be developing one robust, final piece of writing, over the course of a few weeks to prepare them for future essays they’ll need to create for college applications.
The Senior Advocates took a trip to The Museum of the Chinese in America (MoCA) during their Capstone class, to learn more about the history of Chinatown in NYC, as well as to learn about the contributions that artists of Chinese descent have had on the city at large. The Scholars worked with their Youth Advocates to continue writing their artist statements and creating their resumes.
