P S Art 2016 Exhibition Schedule www.nyc.gov/schools/artseducation

Grandma and I
Rachael Quan
Grade: 8
School: MS 158, Queens
Art Teacher: Mario Asaro
Pencil and charcoal on paper
STUDENT: Art allows me to express
myself and allows me to find myself.
Being an artist will give me many new
opportunities in school and in life. My
art teachers have played vital roles
in my creative development. Besides
teaching us new techniques, they
encourage students to find their own
style and they don’t insult anyone’s
work. No matter how the art turns
out, all that matters most to them
is that students try their best. For
this work, I practiced my shading
technique to create the realistic look
of the figures.
TEACHER: Our middle school program is
designed to address both the fifth- and
eighth-grade Blueprint performance
indicators. In drawing, we focus on
showing volume, observation of detail,
scale, proportion, and control of tools
to produce a wide range of values.
While working to improve visual and
technical skills, it is originality and the
emergence of personal expression that
takes students work to the next level.
After a year of extensive drawing,
artwork such as Grandma and I
often marks a creative breakthrough
for many of our students. The work
produced in our Advanced Art
program constantly amazes me.
I believe it is a testament to the
importance that our administration
places on the arts at our school.
Students are fortunate to have a
two-year sequence in art, an extended
day art club, and portfolio preparation
programs. I consider myself fortunate
to be able to train the next generation
of our city’s visual artists.
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