Hands-on Art: Suggested Narrative

The Art-in-Education program at Women’s Studio Workshop introduces students from 4th grade through high school to printmaking and papermaking processes. By bringing students into the studio and working side by side with practicing artists, the Art-in-Ed program fosters creativity and curiosity.

This fall, the studios were filled with local high school students from Kingston High School learning new creative processes and experimenting with their own ideas. Before entering the studios, these young artists were asked to write a response to various prompts or bring objects with them that would be their guide in each creative process. The participating artists-in-residence asked students to consider different ways of creating narrative in their work. Over the course of four weeks, they had the opportunity to experiment in papermaking, intaglio, and screen printing lead by resident artists Lucy Holtsnider, Tracey Bullington, and Padma Rajendran. 

Tracey Bullington taught monoprint in the intaglio studio. Students were asked to bring objects of personal significance that were then utilized as reference in creating stencils. With these stencils as a starting point, students explored the ways in which color, texture, and form can be applied to create narrative. Some students even abandoned their stencils and took their work in a more abstract direction.

In papermaking, Lucy Holtsnider introduced the students to the history of paper and taught them how to pull their own sheets. They were also asked to considered their sense of place. They tore the freshly made paper to create collages that explored personal and abstract narrative.

In the silkscreen studio, students were asked to consider what brings them comfort, where they feel most at home, and what their favorite foods were. Padma Rajendran had the students turn their answers into drawings and stencils to be exposed on a screen and printed in layers. The prompt encouraged students to think about identity and create work using personal narrative.

During the final week, students had the opportunity to choose a process to revisit and take a deeper dive. In addition, Lucy Holtsnider stepped out of the paper studio to teach book binding. The group was lead through the process from start to finish with the help of studio manager Chris Petrone.

The culmination of this four-week process took place on December 1st in an exhibition at Kingston Artist’s Collective (63 Broadway, Kingston NY). The high school students, aided by P.U.G.G. and WSW interns, hung their show, titled Suggested Narrative, and hosted an opening. This show exhibits the work made by the students during their time at Women’s Studio Workshop and is up through the month of December. We encourage everyone to go see the show and the amazing work that was produced by these talented young artists.