I AM YOU/YOU ARE ME: The 24th Annual Student Exhibition

May 17 - June 9, 2012Curated by Hawley Hussey, Director of BRIC Contemporary Art Education

BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn presents I AM YOU/YOU ARE ME, the 24th Annual BRIC Contemporary Art Education Exhibition of student artwork. Curated by Hawley Hussey, BRIC’s Director of Contemporary Art Education, the exhibition presents artwork in a wide variety of media by students from 10 public schools across Brooklyn as well as in Queens and the Bronx. This is the first year that the student exhibition is thematic, focusing on identity and individuality as it relates to one’s larger place within a community.

I AM YOU/YOU ARE ME showcases artwork made by students at public schools that participate in BRIC’s in-school Contemporary Art Education Residency program. Through the program, professional artist teachers partner with classroom teachers to design contemporary art residencies in such academic areas as math, English, social studies, and science. These artist teachers are educators as well as practicing artists who are sent directly into the classroom for residencies in which they use visual arts concepts and techniques to help students learn about contemporary art while better understanding a range of academic subjects.   
 
This is the first year that the student exhibition is thematic. I AM YOU/YOU ARE ME was inspired by the launch of artist teacher Kate Fauvell’s 1.1 project for which she will partner with artists, teachers, and students across the city to produce 1.1 million life-size images of children, one to represent every child in the New York City public school system. The project, and likewise, I AM YOU/YOU ARE ME, focuses on themes of identity and community and teaches students the importance of their own voice and individuality, particularly as it relates to being part of a larger community.
 
The exhibition represents 10 school partners and presents work in such varied media as painting, quilting, collage, poetry, spoken word, graphic novel, site-specific installation, sculptural photography, and digital media.  Some of the projects completed for the show include self-portrait sculptures inspired by Pop-era artist Marisol Escobar; a 25 foot-long Sharpie mural reflecting the school’s feeling of community; numerous contributions to the1.1 project; and a photo transfer installation which honors loved ones in a unique, impactful way. During the opening reception, a section of BRIC Rotunda Gallery will be transformed into the 1.1 Studio, where portraits for Kate Fauvell’s project will be created on-site by Kate and her students.
 
I AM YOU/YOU ARE ME represents only a fraction of the artwork created in residencies, giving viewers an idea of the level of engagement reached by BRIC’s Contemporary Art Education program in each school.