ART.WORK.SPACE.
What is Art.Work.Space.?
Art.Work.Space. is a branch of our LOOK! Youth Art Series; both a physical space (across the hall from the gallery!) for creativity as well as an expansion of our efforts to create accessible and free art opportunities for local youth & the whole community.
Art: creating art accessibility and celebrating the creative community
Work: compensating artists and empowering the next generation of future creatives
Space: sharing a welcoming space to explore interests with openness
ACG hosts monthly youth art workshops (coined Art.Work.Space.) in partnership with The RED Bookshelf and Honest Weight Food Co-op. The programs are led by local artist mentors on the 2nd Saturday of each month throughout the year. The themes of the workshops will depend on what the youth want and the medium(s) of each artist. We will have workshops in writing, mural painting, screen printing, comic book making, collaging, clothing design, graphic design, watercolor painting, music, poetry, literacy, and more!
Register for the next workshop HERE!
Please email Emily at Operations@albanycentergallery.org if you have any questions or would like to participate!
Can't make it to this month's workshop? ⬇️
Check out more coming up here!
THANK YOU! Albany Center Gallery is so grateful for all of the support given so we can give our creative youth more resources to express themselves in healthy, proactive, and artful ways. ACG works to create a safe and creative space for the youth in our community to use at no cost to them. The physical Art.Work.Space. showcases the youth’s artwork, hosts additional community programming and celebrations, and is utilized as a creative workspace. It is a vibrant, colorful environment for artmaking, art-sharing, and dialogue about art!
Special shout out to The Carl E. Touhey Foundation, Bank of America, NYS Legislature (& Assemblywoman Pat Fahy), and numerous generous donor individuals and small businesses for making this workshop (and future ones!) possible.
The monthly youth art workshops are in full swing and we are looking to restock the art supplies for the youth to use and take home, to set up the new space, and ensure that the artists have the materials they need to teach.
If you are interested in supporting this effort, explore and purchase items from our amazon registry at the button below.
The Art.Work.Space. Workshops that we have hosted so far!
September 14, 2024 Art.Work.Space with Mitsu & Ren (CallingFeather)
Artists Mitsu & Ren (CallingFeather) taught the students style studies using their favorite characters. The students were able to learn techniques to design their own authentic characters from scratch!
August 10, 2024 Art.Work.Space with Maeve McCool
Artist Maeve McCool taught the students the design process for Block Printing. The students were able to create their own designs and block print on paper!
July 13, 2024 Art.Work.Space with Ramiro Davaro-Comas
Artist and Muralist Ramiro taught the students the basics of spray painting. He covered the importance of spray painting safety and discussed finding the balance between planning and spontaneity within the art form. The students utilized the spray paints to practice on large wooden canvases to create their own unique collective pieces.
June 8, 2024 Art.Work.Space. with Caroline Corrigan
Youth repainted tables and chairs in the Jim DiNapoli Park. Youths were able to bring more vibrant colors to the park and community!
May 11, 2024 Art.Work.Space. with Va'Ceia Designs
Youth learned about the art of sewing. Youths were able to learn sewing skills and took home their own custom bucket hat!
April 13, 2024 Art.Work.Space. with Tracy Loring
Youth learned about what it means to paint from your heart. Youths created their own artworks using watercolors and acrylic paints.
March 9, 2024 Art.Work.Space. with Beth Brown
Youth learned about collages. They crafted dynamic collages on canvases. The youth created their own artworks using a variety of papers and paints.
February 10, 2024 Art.Work.Space. with Ashley Rutledge
Youth learned about creative energy expressions. They learned how to use their creative energy through color and movement. They created collage pieces that mix paint with hand drawings of inspiring images and words!
January 13, 2024 Art.Work.Space. with Kayla Jolin
Youth learned about watercolor painting. They created two unique paintings that they took home and learned traditional techniques, experimentation, exploration, and mixed media mark making!
December 9, 2023 Art.Work.Space. with Abe Ferraro
Youth learned about creating sculptural, mailable art. They learned about the postal art movement, and Abe’s awesome “Arrow” series. They also created their own Mini Mailable Arrow, using cardboard, stickers, package stickers, tape, and more to make imaginative and vibrant sculptures!
September 9, 2023 Art.Work.Space. with Kenneth Newman
Youth learned about the basics of photography, and how to shoot photos on a camera or smartphone! They walked around Downtown Albany to take photos of nature, buildings, people, and more. The 45th Annual Photography Regional was on view at ACG, so youth also learned about different types of photography and see awesome prints from local & regional artists!
August 12, 2023 Art.Work.Space. with GATO
Gato taught the youth the artistry of graffiti and the history of where it began, along with some well-known artists who paved the way for graff today. After seeing Gato draw an example alphabet of letters and then some tags, the kids experimented with chiseled paint markers to create their own style of lettering! They expressed words and messages that were important to them, including practicing their name or nickname in unique lettering! Gato later took them on a tour through the past exhibit at ACG: “Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop” and talked about the artwork and history of Hip Hop, which has close ties to graffiti art.
May 13, 2023 Art.Work.Space. with Kristoph "Rags" DiMaria
The participants learned about some history and techniques on the art of clowning in its different forms, and how to create their own world where their unique clown lives (an exercise called “Blobs in Space”)! There were many games, exercises, and intuitive explorations that really opened the youths up in being comfortable or silly with each other. To finish the workshop, we all went out in the park or Stacks Espresso to make someone’s day the way a clown does; and even gave out free coffees!
April 8, 2023 Art.Work.Space. with Sam Mackey
Sam taught the youth the history behind the process of cyanotypes (printing with the sun) as well as the benefits of painting with natural materials like coffee grounds or paprika! The kids then created imaginative watercolor paintings with those materials. After prepping their tote bags with special cyanotype chemicals, they arranged leaves, flowers, sticks, and more fun objects onto practice sun-print paper while their tote bags were drying. After they dried, the participants arranged their bags and objects in the sun in the park across the Gallery and let the magic happen! After rinsing with cold water, their bags were complete.
March 11, 2023 Art.Work.Space. Workshop with Lori Kochanski
In this workshop, the participants learned the basics of weaving and created a Squish to take home! Participants also weaved designs on recycled bicycle wheels using fabric, yarn and other found objects. When the individual wheels were complete, they collaborated to build a sculpture using all the woven wheels which was then on display in Art.Work.Space.!
The youths explored how art, in this case weaving, tells a story without words about the artist and the community.
February 11, 2023 Workshop with Aaron Moore
This workshop focused on acting, monologuing, performance, and reading from scripts. The youth participated in exercises in those areas to practice and become more comfortable with the art of performance, acting in a play, and even audition skills! The kids also received some written materials and an acting book to bring home. 📚
Attending youth learned so much about acting and performance with the skilled and experienced Aaron! 🎭
October 8, 2022 Workshop with Marcus Kwame Anderson
This was the second session to Marcus' two-part workshop! The youth learned the basic elements of cartooning like panels, word balloons, composition, sequential storytelling, and more by looking at some examples of Marcus' awesome artwork! They then used those skills to work on story telling through their drawn comic panels.
September 10, 2022 Workshop with Marcus Kwame Anderson
Illustrator, cartoonist, and fine artist, Marcus Kwame Anderson guided the youth through brainstorming and creating a comic strip. They completed exercises, including multiple gesture drawings and quick sketches to prepare them for the larger project. The youth left the workshop with plenty of goodies and their own 3-panel comic.
July 9, 2022 Workshop with Jason Medicine Eagle Martinez
Educator, international contemporary artist, and indigenous storyteller Jason Medicine Eagle Martinez taught students how to create spirit dolls! He showed participants how to intent-fully make medicinal protective spirit dolls based on the kachina craft and culture of the southwest pueblo tribes of the United States. These dolls are fully painted and adorned standing figures made of wood.
August 13, 2022 Workshop with Meg Jala
From Artist Mentor Meg: “Everything and anything can be art. Nature gives us inspiration for creativity through sights, shapes, colors, sounds, seasons, movements cycles and stories. We will spend time in nature learning about the natural world around us and collecting found natural items and discovering visuals that we may want to use."
The youth learned how to create art thoughtfully and positively with found nature!
June 11, 2022 Workshop with 5ifth Place (Drew)
Drew taught students the process of screen printing. Instead of printing on clothes, the students printed on special canvas paper. The youth used both hand drawn and printed methods to achieve a final product is displayed in the Art.Work.Space. gallery! Youth participants were able to leave the workshop with a thorough understanding of how screen printing works, the complexities and patience it requires, and a piece of art with their own design to cherish.
