Taking Shape: Art at Every Age from Studio in a School

The Fine Art Program and Collection at Montefiore Einstein is proud to present Taking Shape: Art at Every Age from Studio in a School, an exhibition of vibrant artworks created by children and teens across New York City. During the 2022-2023 school year, the young artists in this exhibition participated in Studio in a School’s visual arts programs, transforming public school classrooms into thriving art studios.

Taking Shape surveys the artistic development of students from toddlerhood through the teen years. Walking through the exhibition and looking from piece to piece is like watching a child grow up. Organized into two sections, the exhibition begins with bold and exuberant artworks from children in grades 3K – 5 and concludes with rigorous and ambitious pieces created by adolescents and teens in grades 6-12. As young people mature, their new skills and capacities become visually evident in their art.

All of Studio’s students have opportunities to explore varied artistic media, hone new skills, and create works of art. Studio’s artist instructors nurture creativity while building foundational skills such as close looking, making expressive choices, developing critical thinking, and building social-emotional skills such as collaboration and perseverance. Through inquiry-based lessons, Studio’s curriculum scaffolds skills that fortify children’s confidence in their own creativity. The rewards of high-quality visual arts education are apparent when viewing this exhibition.

We wish to acknowledge The Fine Art Program and Collection at Montefiore Einstein for hosting Taking Shape at The Gallery of ARTful Medicine. Studio’s cultural partnership with Montefiore began in 2019, leading to our first exhibition together in 2020. Taking Shape is our 4^th exhibition on the hospital’s campus. We are honored to share the artwork of our students with Montefiore’s patients, family members, physicians, staff, students, and the community. We thank Montefiore Einstein for their generosity and look forward to collaborating on exhibitions for years to come.