PAST EVENTS
SPECIAL EVENTS & FIELD TRIPS SPRING 2008
Track Meet: A Night at the Sprints
Friday, January 4, 2008 @ 168th Street Armory
UAMA's burgeoning Track Team has 7 students participate in "A Night at the Sprints," aPSAL-sponsored track meet at the 168th street Armory.
In-School Screenings: Darius Goes West
Friday, January 4 and Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM @ UAMA
Darius Goes West tells the story of 15-year-old Darius Weems from Athens, GA, who was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the most common fatal genetic disorder to affect children worldwide. In 1999, Darius watched his beloved older brother, Mario, die of the same disease. Shortly after, he lost the use of his leg muscles and became wheelchair-bound. A group of Darius's college friends decided to take him on a trip cross-country, with the ultimate goal of reaching Los Angeles to convince MTV to customize Darius's wheelchair on its hit show Pimp my Ride. Along the way, Darius and his friends raise awareness of DMD and the conditions affecting people with disabilities. In this special all-school screening, UAMA students view Darius Goes West and use it as a catalyst for discussion of how art and media can be tools for social change. Students then create original creative pieces that address topics they find relevant. Special thanks to Lisa Lucas and Tribeca Film Institute, www.tribecafilminstitute.org.
Spread the Word: Art as Activism Open Mic Party
Thursday, January 10, 2008, 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM @ UAMA
In response to the film Darius Goes West and other examples of activist art, UAMA students create visual, performance, and written pieces around the theme of "art as activism," to present at an open mic party. This closes an "Arts as Activism" week in which students are introduced to different forms of art for social change in their classes and through viewing Darius. The open mic event features performances and exhibits by students and staff, as well as guest emcee and spoken word/hip hop artist Mtume Gant.
3 UAMA Students accepted into Cooper-Hewitt Lehman Scholars program
Friday, February 15, 2008 @ Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
UAMA juniors Shavette Driver, Akeem Hyland, and Ye Yan are accepted into the highly competitive Lehman Scholars program at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. This program, for select high school students in the 11th and 12th grades, introduces young minds to the fundamentals of design thinking through first-hand workshops and internships with design professionals.
“Class Pictures” Exhibit at Aperture Foundation
Thursday, February 28, 2008 @ Aperture Foundation
Students in the Digital Photography Xstudio visit Aperture foundation for a tour and discussion of “Class Pictures,” an innovative exhibit by Dawoud Bey, featuring portraits of teenagers that defy stereotypes of American youth along with their personal testimonies.
Parents as Arts Partners Workshop 1: A tour of the Brooklyn Museum to explore cultural symbolism in art
Saturday, March 1, 2008, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM @ The Brooklyn Museum
UAMA families take a tour of the Brooklyn Museum’s Egyptian, African, and Native American galleries to explore animal symbolism in the artwork of different cultures. Led by Groundswell stencil artist Nicole Schulman, family groups discuss and sketch different animals to collect ideas for their own family “animal totems.” After the tour, families enjoy snacks in the café and the Museum’s program of free Target First Saturday events taking place into the evening.
Special thanks to the Brooklyn Museum, www.brooklynmuseum.org, Groundswell Community Mural Project, www.groundswellmural.org, and Parents as Arts Partners grantmaker Center for Arts Education, www.cae-nyc.org
Parents as Arts Partners workshops 2 & 3: 2 public art/stenciling workshops with Guest artist Nicole Schulman from Groundswell Community Mural Project
2 Saturdays, March 8 and March 15, 2008 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM @ UAMA
Families meet at UAMA on March 8 to design animal totem symbols that represent their own cultural backgrounds, each combining several animal parts in one hybrid creature. On March 15, they re-convene to learn the fun and easy art form of stenciling, in order to cut stencils of their hybrid animals and print them onto 16 2’ X 2’ stretched canvases.
All 16 canvases are later assembled into a grid, and installed as a composite mural on a prominent wall over UAMA’s internal staircase.
Click HERE for information our our final mural dedication ceremony, June 20, 2008! Special thanks to Groundswell Community Mural Project, www.groundswellmural.org, and Parents as Arts Partners grantmaker Center for Arts Education, www.cae-nyc.org
Click to see pictures of the mural workshops.
Grammy Career Day
Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM @ Pace University
UAMA students participate in a day-long series of workshops and special performances to learn about a wide range of careers in the music business, and to meet top music professionals. Special thanks to the Grammy Foundation’s Grammy in the Schools program, www.grammyintheschools.com
Growing up a Slave
Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM @ the American Place Theatre
11th grade U.S. History students attend a performance of true-life narratives of former slaves. Derived from slave narratives transcribed by the Federal Writers' Project in the 1930's, three characters share their dramatic accounts of slave life, their food and eating habits, clothing, religious and superstitious beliefs, music, plus those experiences specific to "the peculiar institution:" runaways, whippings and the auction block. The spiritual resources of these oppressed people pulsate through the account. The human spirit triumphs.
The complete 1.5 hour experience includes a professionally- staged adaptation of these oral histories performed by multiple actors, pre-show interactive activities, and a post-show interactive discussion. Special thanks to the American Place Theatre, www.americanplacetheatre.org
School Spirit Day: Pajama Day
Friday, March 28, 2008, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM @ UAMA
UAMA students and staff show their school spirit by wearing their bedtime attire during the school day. Special thanks to the UAMA Student Council and Student Activities Committee.
School Spirit Day: Wacky Tacky Day
Friday, April 4, 2008, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM @ UAMA
UAMA students and staff show their school spirit by wearing their loudest, tackiest, and most outrageous outfits to school. Special thanks to the UAMA Student Council and Student Activities Committee.
Film Screening: Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes (2006, Directed by Byron Hurt)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
How did the political message of hip-hop transform into the gangster rap that dominates urban radio today? Leading rap and hip-hop artists including Mos Def and Busta Rhymes answer challenging questions about the genre, taking an in-depth look at the messages behind rap music songs and videos. This award-winning documentary challenges young people to examine issues of masculinity, sexism, violence, and homophobia in hip-hop culture. An all-male group of UAMA students view the film, followed by a post-screening discussion with the director/screenwriter Byron Hurt and Monifa Akinwole-Bandele, consultant to the film's national education campaign.
Special thanks to UAMA Principal for the Day Joe Chan for his generous ticket donation, and to Suzanne Youngerman and the BAM education staff, www.bam.org/education
Band Collaboration with Brooklyn Friends School, in celebration of April as Jazz Month
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM @ UAMA; Thursday, April 17, 2008, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM @ Brooklyn Friends School; Joint band performance Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 7:00 PM - 9:00PM @ Brooklyn Friends School @
UAMA Band students meet band students from the neighboring Brooklyn Friends School for collaborative rehearsals and jazz workshops. They perform their individual pieces for each other, and play together on several songs, leading to a joint performance in May. Special thanks to Jessica Jones, Brooklyn Friends band instructor, and Michael Nill, Brooklyn Friends Head of School, www.brooklynfriends.org
Click to see pictures.
Behind the Scenes: LAVA Dance Rehearsal
Thursday, April 17, 2008, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM @ LAVA Studios
UAMA students in the Hip Hop Dance classes attend a special behind-the-scenes rehearsal with members of the LAVA dance company. They watch this special dance group perform, and participate in a Q&A session with the performers afterwards. Special thanks to BRICstudios, www.briconline.org/bricstudio/default.asp and LAVA dance, www.lavalove.org/
Click to see pictures.
UAMA Hosts Cooper-Hewitt’s Design Your ‘Hood Program
March 13-April 17, 2008, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM @ UAMA; Final Presentation at Borough Hall, Thursday, April 17, 2008, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM @
UAMA acts as the Spring 2008 host site for the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s Design Your ‘Hood program, part of the Museum’s Design Directions series of free teen education programs. This six-week after-school program encourages critical thinking, visual literacy, collaboration and problem-solving and includes opportunities to work with architects, urban designers, community leaders, and historians. Students explore Brooklyn’s Fulton Mall and envision unique design solutions for this area. They participate in hands-on workshops and walking tours, and design architectural drawings and models that address the neighborhood's needs. On April 17, 2008, students present their projects at a final presentation at Borough hall, to a panel of expert urban planners acting as judges. Special thanks to Madeline Diaz and the Cooper-Hewitt Education department, www.cooperhewitt.org
Click here for an article about the final event!
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony and Brooklyn Museum Exhibition
Thursday, April 17, 2008, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM @ the Brooklyn Museum Exhibition on view April 3-27, 2008 @
11th grader Ye Yan is a Silver Key award-winner in the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards this year! Her winning original character drawing, “Sheepy,” along with the work of other winners from high schools all over NYC, will be on display at the Brooklyn Museum this month.
Pandora's Box: UAMA Students in the Willie Mae Rock Camp after-school program perform at the Cake Shop
Sunday, May 11, 2008, 2:00 PM @ The Cake Shop
Students in UAMA's Willie Mae Rock Camp after-school program perform original songs as part of a Mothers Day Matinee afternoon of performances, from 2-7 www.cake-shop.com, www.williemaerockcamp.org
Click to see pictures.
Brooklyn Friends Upper School Jazz Ensemble / UAMA Extended Studio Groove Ensemble Spring Concert
Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM @ Brooklyn Friends Meeting House, 375 Pearl Street, off Willoughby, near Adams St.
Students perform together in the premier event in a collaboration between UAMA and Brooklyn Friends School, a Quaker school located in Downtown Brooklyn. The concert features performances by both schools' jazz and groove ensemble bands, including several joint pieces. In preparation for this concert, students visited each other’s schools for joint rehearsals and jam sessions. Special thanks to Jessica Jones, Brooklyn Friends band instructor, and Michael Nill, Brooklyn Friends Head of School, www.brooklynfriends.org
Click to see pictures.
BAM Dance Africa
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
Now in its 29th year, BAM’s DanceAfrica festival is a Brooklyn tradition that happens every Memorial Day weekend. This year, the DanceAfrica spirit flows with a diverse blend of dance, live music, film, art, dance classes for all ages, and the one-and-only DanceAfrica outdoor bazaar. Students in UAMA’s 11th grade girls group attend a school-time performance of Dance Africa at BAM, and participate in a pre-show workshop the day before where they learn and participate in African dance steps and drum beats. Special thanks to John Foster, Suzanne Youngerman, and the BAM education staff, www.bam.org
Brooklyn Museum © Murakami Tour
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM @ the Brooklyn Museum
Born in Tokyo in 1962, Murakami is one of the most influential and acclaimed artists to have emerged from Asia in the late twentieth century, creating a wide-ranging body of work that consciously bridges fine art, design, animation, fashion, and popular culture. The Brooklyn Museum’s retrospective exhibition includes more than ninety works in various media that span the artist’s entire career. UAMA graphic design and anime/art club students receive a tour of the © Murakami exhibit from a Brooklyn Museum educator. Through discussing the paintings, sculptures, installations and films of this complex and controversial artist, students explore topics such as the relationship between art and commerce, the artist’s process, and the creation of artistic identity and branding. Special thanks to the Brooklyn Museum’s education division, www.brooklynmuseum.org
9th Grade Art Showcase: Opening Reception
Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM @ LIU, 2nd floor Pratt Building
Student artwork is displayed at the nearby Long Island University Brooklyn Campus. This includes work from UAMA’s 9th grade studio art elective class, from arts integration projects between art and academic teachers, and from after-school visual art classes. Special thanks to Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, www.brooklyn.liu.edu
UAMA Spring 08 Studio Showcase
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Performances and art exhibition viewing: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Post-concert reception: 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM @ Polytechnic University, Pfizer Auditorium, 5 Metrotech Center
Students and instructors in the Urban Assembly School of Music and Art's Extended Studio in-school arts electives, and After Hours Studio after-school programs, showcase a semester's worth of hard work in this culminating event. It features visual art and writing displays and live performances by students in a variety of music and arts classes--jazz and rock band, DJ'ing, music production, photography, graphic design, magazine publishing--as well as special guest performances by singer Malika Zarra and others. Special thanks to Carl Skelton and Ann Lubrano of Polytechnic University, www.poly.edu
Click to see pictures.
Family Cook/Teen Iron Chef Garden Party
Thursday, June 12, 2008 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM; Friday, June 13, 2008 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM @ The Bridge Plaza Community Garden
Students in the Family Cook 9th grade elective celebrated the end of the semester in the nearby Bridge Plaza Community Garden, with special guests Family Cook Productions founder Lynn Fredericks, and representatives from the New York City Restoration Project, Project Green Reach, the Urban Assembly, and other organizations. At the event, food was served that incorporated plants grown by students in the community garden, prepared by student chefs from the Family Cook Teen Iron Chef program.
All semester, students in the Family Cook elective learned about nutrition and food issues in their communities and the world, preparing nutritious meals and growing their own organic food in a local community garden. Throughout the semester, select UAMA students in the after-school component of Family Cook, Teen Iron Chef, worked in teams to "battle" their peers, preparing delicious meals with sophisticated culinary techniques. Over 6 weeks, they worked up to a final battle with such judges as School Food Chef Jorge, Family Cook founder and author Lynn Fredericks, Gateway Institute's Dr. Morton Slater, and Urban Assembly President and founder Richard Kahan. Special thanks to Lynn Fredericks and Family Cook Productions, www.familycookproductions.com.
Click to see pictures from the family cook and Teen Iron Chef program.
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Visit
Thursday, June 12, 2008, 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM @ the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Students in the 9th grade Family Cook elective visit the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to participate in a "kitchen botany" tour, viewing edible plants growing in the gardens and food from different climates of the world in the Gardens' Steinhardt Conservatory greenhouse.
Special thanks to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, http://www.bbg.org.
UAMA Band performs at the Greenmarket Concert Series: Fort Greene Park
Presented by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
Saturdays, June 14 & 21, 2008 12:00 PM @ Fort Greene Park, near the Washington Park and DeKalb Avenue entrance
FREE admission
UAMA Xstudio Groove Ensemble band students perform with noted jazz groups the Harlem Blues & Jazz Band and Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch & the Magnificent Trio at a series of free outdoor concerts in Fort Greene Park. The park also features a farmers market and other shopping. Visit here for more details on the performances and collaborating groups. Special thanks to Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, www.dbpartnership.org.
Click to see pictures.
Hip Hop Generation Next
Saturday, June 14, 2008, 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM @ Coffey Park in Red Hook
Presented and Produced by Dancing in the Streets
For more information and directions, visit here.
Artistic Director: Brandon "Peace" Albright
Artistic Advisors: Thomas DeFrantz, Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionesio and Ana "Rokafella" Garcia
Project Manager: Vanessa Nisperos
For the second year in a row, through a partnership with Dancing in the Streets, UAMA hip hop dance students perform in this day-long block party that celebrates the roots of hip hop as a creative and constructive catalyst for joyous artistic expression. HIP HOP GENERATION NEXT puts the spotlight on a global cultural phenomenon that has sprung from New York City streets. The 4:30–6:00 pm segment features hip hop dance performances and experimentations by UAMA Xstudio hip hop dance instructors Adesola Osakalumi and Antoine "Doc" Judkins and their students. Other performers include Art and Chicago's FootworKINGz. DJ Slynkee, Full Circle, Illstyle & Peace Productions, KR3TS and Violeta Galagarza, and The House of Ninja. Special thanks to Dancing in the Streets, www.dancinginthestreets.org.
Click to see pictures.
Claims of the Negro: 400 Years of Chains and 143 Years of Gains?
June 19 - 28, 2008; Opening Reception Thursday, June 19, 2008, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM; UAMA student reception: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM @ chashama Gallery 112: 112 W. 44th Street (6th Ave/Broadway)
Inside viewing of exhibit
Thursday – Saturday noon to 6pm
24-hr outdoor viewing w/sound
contact: 917.723.7281
information: www.s6k.com/juneteenth
Juneteenth [June 19th] is an annual commemoration of the last day of legalized slavery in the U.S., June 19, 1865. The goal of this exhibit is to inform viewers about what this historic day might mean in the present, to the nation, and the opportunities it provides for positive societal and cultural growth. The installation features video, audio and text works from a number of artists/researchers, exclusive video/audio interviews with human rights leaders, live performances and a special project from 11th grade UAMA students. To commemorate this Juneteenth anniversary 2008, UAMA students have worked for a semester with Darryl Hell of Sektor 6 Kommunikations (s6k) and UAMA U.S. history teacher Shari Baerga to respond creatively to issues raised by Juneteenth.
Parents as Arts Partners Family Totem Mural Dedication Ceremony!
Friday, June 20, 2008, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM @ UAMA
Participants in UAMA’s Parents as Arts Partners workshops come back together to celebrate the installation of the collaborative mural they created. Through three Saturday workshops, parent-student teams explored animal symbolism and created original stencil prints on canvas of hybrid animals representing their family backgrounds. The dedication ceremony features speeches by student and parents participants, Lead Artist Nicole Schulman, and representatives from UAMA and Groundswell Community Mural Project.
Special thanks to Groundswell Community Mural Project, www.groundswellmural.org, and Parents as Arts Partners grantmaker Center for Arts Education, www.cae-nyc.org
Click for an image of the mural mock-up!
Click to see pictures of the mural installation and dedication ceremony at UAMA.
Click to see pictures of the mural workshops.
