Nabila Siddique, Grade 8, "Grief"
Nabila Siddique, Grade 8
Medium: Pencil Sketch
School: Holliswood School P.S./I.S.178Q
Teacher: Marisa Guglietta
"Grief"
The self-portrait is from a picture I took of myself as a reference to create it into a sketch. The image mostly represents grief. I got the idea of grief from the situation the world is in. So many people have lost so much in these hard times. I wanted to capture that for you. I could have used the photograph, but I wanted to investigate sketching. The sketch really turned it into something completely different. I believe more powerful. I liked how the sketch turned out and it was worth the risk.
Lena Goings, Grade 7, "Happiness in Chaos"
Lena Goings, Grade 7
Medium: pencil on paper
School: The Boerum Hill School for International Studies
Teacher: Louise Butler
"Happiness in Chaos"
This piece is about one of the ways that I find happiness in chaos. My cat and I sit at the kitchen table, waiting for a zoom call to start as I crochet a garment. In isolation, I have picked up knitting and crocheting almost as a coping mechanism to deal with the feeling of languishing and the realization that time goes by far too fast. My cat loves to sit on my yarn projects, and spending time with another being, even a silent cat, makes a positive difference in my mood.
Laetitia Mombelli, Grade 8 - "Unvaccinated "
Laetitia Mombelli, Grade
Medium: pen and marker on paper
School: The Boerum Hill School for International Studies
Teacher: Louise Butler
"Unvaccinated"
My drawing is supposed to represent all the unvaccinated teachers around the world. In America, teachers were prioritized for vaccination, but in certain other countries, educators weren't as lucky. I can't imagine the fear of showing up to your work every day in the middle of a pandemic. This drawing is made to tell all the unvaccinated teachers to not give up, and that their voices will not go unheard.
Viktoria Goldstein, Grade 6, "Closed"
Viktoria Goldstein, Grade 6
Medium: Pencil
School: DAVID A. BOODY, I.S. 228
Teacher: Lisa Banker
"Closed"
This drawing represents how I felt when school was closed. I felt sad and confused. I wanted to see my friends and my teachers. It was like an on and off game. I was expecting school to open in a week. A week later, we were still working from home. I wondered if i would ever see my friends, teachers or classrooms again
Anastasiya Sharkin, Grade 8, "Stop the Virus"
Anastasiya Sharkın, Grade 8
Medium: pencil
School: DAVID A. BOODY, I.S. 228
Teacher: Lisa Banker
"Stop the Virus"
I want you to know how I felt through this pandemic. Covid has caused many issues, and many people were worried for their health and safely, as well as their loved ones. I felt overwhelmed and a little frustrated. Everyone had to follow a bunch of rules to keep us safe, and it was difficult. This whole pandemic was a tough journey, and all I kept thinking was "when will this all be over?"
Olivia Wu, Grade 7, "Quarantine Days"
Olivia Wu, Grade 7
Medium: crayon
School: DAVID A. BOODY, I.S. 228
Teacher: Lisa Banker
"Quarantine Days"
This is a day in my life during this pandemic and in quarantine. In this picture, My dad is washing his hands because we have to keep our hands clean from the virus. Soap was quite valuable during this pandemic. My sister comes home with many groceries from the one large shopping trip to stock our house with plenty of food. She wears her mask and was careful to socially distance, to be safe. Mom is playing, "Just Dance" to move around and be active indoors. I am sitting in in a chair, on ZOOM. I go to school online.
Sheza A., Grade 7, "Redundancies"
Sheza A., Grade 7
Medium: Digital
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"Redundancies"
A year ago, I saw myself as an unnecessary mess. I felt like I lost myself as a person, so I represented myself grey and colorless. All of the things I did at school went away, so that represents the grey figures and surrounding hobbies. I chose the street as a setting, because you can see many people walking down the street and you can feel that everyone has a life, and a problem of their own. The bubbles are the inner consciousness of the figures in the bubbles.
Destiny C., Grade 6, "As Quick as Fire"
Destiny C., Grade 6,
Medium: Digital
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"As Quick as Fire"
I am told New York City is the city that never sleeps. the next thing we knew, everything was online. My family is very important to me and being in quarantine meant I couldn’t go out or see them. Online school was very difficult. Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in severe economic and social impacts around the world. This pandemic took a toll on many people. There are exactly 133M cases and 75.4M recovered. We should always be grateful to have a family and be grateful we're safe.
Kristen G., Grade 6, "Heroes"
Kristen G., Grade 6
Medium: Digital
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"Heroes"
This collage represents lots of what took place during the pandemic for me, NYC and the country. It shows all the hardworking first responders who helped us each and every day, what us children had to go through which was to go from learning in person to learning remotely and what businesses had gone through which was to go from being opened one day to being closed the next day. Through all of this my family was always there for me and we were all there for each other and that is why I had to add a picture of my family to this collage. The pandemic might have closed down the country but it didn't close down my family.
Class 718 Group Work, Grade 7, "We Didn't Start The Fire"
Class 718 Group Work - Grade 7
Medium: Digital
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
Grade 7, "We Didn't Start The Fire"
Class 718 analyzed and discussed the lyrics and watched the music video “We didn’t start the Fire” by Billy Joel. At the conclusion of the unit as a class, students were first asked to compile words that reflected upon the last year and a half of their own history. The 2nd part of the assignment was to gather images that were also a reflection of the last year and a half during COVID. In the end, this composition reflects their response to their history during their lifetime, during COVID. I, Mrs. Elman, combined both images and words to reflect the final composition in canva.com. Kudos to my class 718 for a fruitful unit and cathartic experience.
Yi Qi Sophia M., Grade 6, "Movements"
Yi Qi Sophia M., Grade 6
Medium: Colored Pencil on Paper
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"Movements"
The pandemic Covid-19 had a huge impact on me. I responded to the pandemic by staying home. I had to stay home a lot more than I used to, that made me feel bored and sad. There were a lot of online and remote things and we had to follow Covid-19 guidelines. There were also movements for equal rights like the Black Lives Matter movement. I felt like the doctors were most affected by the pandemic, because they have to go to work every day. And they are risking their lives to make us safe. This is how the pandemic affected me during the past year.
Isabel P., Grade 7, "Missing Dreams"
Isabel P., Grade 7
Medium: Digital
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"Missing Dreams"
This picture represents the beach. I chose to create an art piece about the beach because before covid, I loved to walk along the beach. The hot air balloons represent a world without covid something to look forward to. The reason there is a sunset background is because watching a sunset is one of the most beautiful things you could ever experience. In conclusion, many people look forward to many things. This is something that I look forward to doing when COVID is over.
Daniela S., Grade 7, "Cooped Up"
Daniela S., Grade 7
Medium: Digital
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"Cooped Up"
Trying to keep yourself busy while being inside is quite simple if you have a lot of time and hobbies you can do. However, having a lot of free time while being inside could be extremely unmotivating. Recommendations, talk with a therapist or a friend. Get a new hobby or solve math or science problems. Get insta or tiktok famous. Make your own fashion show in front of the mirror, and the great thing is, it's virtual! Thanks to quarantine you can get yourself into anything you're interested in, especially if you're an introvert who would rather stay inside by yourself then draining your social battery with people.
Madina U., Grade 7, "Process"
Madina U., Grade 7
Medium: Pencil on Paper
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"Process"
A year ago, I was affected by covid and it was difficult to pass but we made it through. I learned a lot during covid. My dad knows how to bake, and he taught me how to bake. Eventually I could bake a brownie and cheesecake. I registered for school late. I was studying remotely. I could not understand any of the work; I was failing. I had to ask my parents to let me go in person to school. They said YES! And I have good grades now!
Ardi X., Grade 7, "The Experience"
Ardi X., Grade 7
Medium: Digital
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"The Experience"
During the pandemic, I was hopeful. On March 15th, 2020 schools were announced closed, and the virus was spreading like wildfire, so everyone was locked in, and NYC was locked down. NYC was basically like a city stuck in the middle of a desert, you couldn’t do anything to stop it. It was an overload of sirens, it was a strange event and an unforgettable moment of 2020, we can’t forget about it, it can sound like a nightmare, but it is our new reality.
Zi Ying Y., Grade 8, "COVID"
Zi Ying Y., Grade 8
Medium: Colored Pencil on Paper
School: 21K096 Seth Low
Teacher: Erin Marie Elman
"COVID"
I feel disgusted by the pandemic because many people die from it and it wastes time at home. If the Covid -19 does not happen, I will be playing with my friend outside and go on a trip with them too. I see that people did not wear a mask because they don't believe that Coronavirus can make them die. I believe that there are more people who have died and didn't find out at home. People should wear a mask when they go out
Joshua Eng, Grade 7, "The Angel of Death"
Joshua Eng, Grade 7
Medium: Colored pencil and Ink
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"The Angel of Death"
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lots of dangerous and scary things happening en masse all around the world, and sometimes it just feels like death is lurking around the corner waiting for you
Erica Liu, Grade 7, "Mirrored"
Erica Lu, Grade 7
Medium: Colored Pencil, Ink
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Mirrored"
My image depicts changes of a girl's life, due to Covid-19. Pre-Covid, she was able to spend time with her friends and have fun. It was exhilarating, colorful, and lively. Her worries were unfounded. Covid-19 struck and life became dull and colorless. Her motivation became non-existent, she no longer has expectations, and barely keeps up with remote school. Isolated, she feels trapped and inaccessible to the outside world. This experience may be similar to many teenagers, as we are all struggling to handle practically everything remotely. My intention was to make the darker color scheme represent dullness, while the brighter colors represent the optimistic side.
Sofia Ristic, Grade 7, "Overload"
Sofia Ristic, Grade 7
Medium: Pencil, Colored Pencil, Ink
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Overload"
Social media, video games, music, and online schooling has become a technological overload for some people. While technology and new ways of using it advance everyday sometimes our brains get overwhelmed with information leading to a malfunction. In my picture I show myself feeling dizzy in a never-ending whirlpool of technology during Covid-19 pandemic.
Amanda Solari, Grade 7, "Path of an Unheralded Exhibition"
Amanda Solari, Grade 7
Medium: Colored Pencil
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Path of an Unheralded Exhibition"
A turn neither left nor right;
We never knew we were heading in to fight.
A distraction from the distraction,
The dark nights and cold hours
Were all leading to those golden fractions.
Light shone on a once-blinded reason to take action.
In my piece
It all has reason,
Every word and image
Shows a glimpse of treason.
Treason that once grabbed me,
You, and the world,
A disloyalty to what I had
That led to a myriad of whirls.
I long that my art,
A never ceasing hope,
Will expose the meanings of my moves,
The changes that I will choose,
Those feelings that continue loop,
So that you understand
It’s all up to you and me.
Janice Choe, Grade 8, "Trapped Melancholy"
Medium: colored pencil & ink
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS74Q
Art Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Trapped Melancholy"
I named my artwork “Trapped in Melancholy” because I feel it represents the moods of kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is causing kids to feel trapped with their emotions at home. In my artwork, there are three kids confined in cubes. I used dull colors when coloring the cubes to show the depressing mood and emotion kids are feeling. I also left the kids uncolored to help emphasize this feeling. I drew stacks of paper to represent the work we do every day and selected this layout to represent that we are repeating the same day in melancholy.
Qi En Lo, Grade 8, "Rising Above"
Qi En Lo, Grade 8
Medium: Digital/ProCreate
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Rising Above"
I wanted to create an artwork that reflected the light at the end of the tunnel as amid this pandemic. I wanted to emphasize the road to healing by having the Covid-19 bacteria at the bottom of my artwork turn into bubbles floating to the top. The Covid-19 bacteria has negative words inscribed, the middle is where the bacteria slowly turns into bubbles, and finally at the top are positive and joyful words filling the bubbles. This represents happy times to come and hope for our future.
Jazmine Ofori, Grade 8, "Nothing New"
Medium: Pencil
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Nothing New"
Covid-19 has placed a daunting effect on every aspect of our lives. Physically, we feel trapped inside our own houses. Emotionally, we have an added stress from being away from the people we love. We live in a world where media is a large part of our everyday lives. I wanted to showcase the different major events that have been all over social media during the pandemic. I used an old film projector to represent that this is all old news. For over a year we have been adjusting to this pandemic and unprecedented time. Anything can happen, and this could be our new normal
Chloe Wong, Grade 8 "Incommunicado"
Chloe Wong, Grade 8
Medium: Pencil and Ink
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Incommunicado"
The artwork depicts an isolated man appearing distressed as he holds his head in his hands. This piece is intended to portray the feelings of desolation, sorrow, angst, despair, and exasperation that are oftentimes associated with the confinement and drastic change that COVID-19 has brought upon. The monochromatic, grayscale color scheme is meant to emphasize how the man in the image is undergoing great mental anguish as he is confronted by adversities consequent of the pandemic. The illustration encapsulates how the world's current affairs can force people into a negative state of mind.
Mia Yang, Grade 8, "Sea of Familiarity"
Mia Yang
Medium: Digital
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Sea of Familiarity"
Every time I look, I see my reflectio nor is that someone else with the same perplexion?
Lost in the sea of familiarity
How will one be able to set free?
As you study the faces of the similar, you understand the feeling so familiar.
The terror and fear eats away, so we all conceal to pray, that one day we shall be set free,
And one day we shall look and not find that feeling of familiarity.
Adriana Zhao, Grade 8, "Rose-Colored Gaze"
Adriana Zhao, Grade 8
Medium: Digital
School: Nathaniel Hawthorne MS 74Q
Teacher: Irene Papamichael
"Rose Colored Gaze"
The jar represents the barriers of quarantine. Instead of the glass of the jar being the typical clear/green, it's tinted pink to match the saying: "look through rose-colored glasses.". Being stuck at home has made me romanticize the world that got taken away. I'm the butterfly since there's nowhere to go and the situation is out of my control. The insufficient environment provided reflects the conditions right now. The blue of the butterfly and wilting flowers demonstrate everyone's down-hearted moods.
Ayile Martelly, Grade 6, "A Self-Portrait in the Mind"
Aylie Martelly, Grade 6
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"Self Portrait in the Mind"
The setting is an abstract background, because this "Happy Place" is not real. It's in my mind. In the pandemic, I've found it easy to keep my spirits up by building my own inner world out of my imagination. The girl in the sky and the mysterious figure in front of the mountain are my own creations. Before, I enjoyed going outside to play or hang out with my friends. Both of these options are cut off now, so I retreat into my head. For art materials, I used pencil, colored pencils, crayons, and cut or whole pieces of colored paper. I used scraps of fabric for the characters' outlines so that I could color them with the crayons.
Alyana Enderes, Grade 7 - "(Covid)-19 Hours of Sleep"
Alyana Enderse, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"(Covid)-19 Hours of Sleep,"
My portrait is entitled, "(Covid)-19 hours of sleep," because I feel most at peace when sleeping (or at least trying to). The setting is my room, and I used cardboard, magazine clippings and shiny parts of chip bags to represent what I've been up to this past year. I used cotton balls and tissue paper to make my bed, which were soft items that matched the texture. This was my "Happy Place" during the pandemic because since we had nowhere else to go, I usually holed up in my room reading, drawing, and sleeping. It was different from my usual "Happy Place" because it would be outside (a restaurant), somewhere we didn't go because of Covid.
Dylan Delpique, Grade 7, "Escape to Lazer Land"
Dylan Delpique, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"Escape to Lazer Land"
I chose this environment because it made me feel good to remember the good times I had at the Lazer Tag. This environment was really an escape for me. It’s dark with a futuristic deco inside. This was my “Happy Place” during Covid because it is the first indoor place I went to after the lockdown when things re-opened and I really had fun. Usually my “Happy Place” is to travel to France to visit my family but I couldn’t go. I used construction paper, recycled magazines, coin rolls, tin foil and a sponge with black paint. I learned that combining unusual materials in a collage with a regular drawing gives interesting different dimensions and layers.
Hana Cheng, Grade 7, "COVID-19 Pandemic Wishes"
Hana Cheng, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"COVID-19 Pandemic Wishes"
The setting/environment for my portrait is outdoors, in nature with mountains and beautiful clouds. This is my "Happy Place" during the COVID-19 pandemic because we rarely get to go on trips or vacations outdoors. We have school online, so we are always at home. This is similar to my usual "Happy Place" because I always love being outdoors, but maybe the setting would be in another country, or in the city. The materials I used are: pencils, erasers, a sturdy piece of paper, origami, magazine paper, and cotton balls. I included these materials because the cotton balls helped the clouds pop out, making it look more 3-D. I learned how regular everyday materials could make a beautiful collage.
Valentina Martinez, Grade 7, "Home"
Valentina Martinez, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"Home"
The meaning behind my work is that it's made up of things I find safety in. This “Happy Place” is different from before covid because I'm by myself enjoying my own company and the rest of the things in the room. I used glue, paper, and tape. Some unique items I used were color tape, wooden sticks, stickers, little baskets, to create the shelves, wall design and books. An artist that inspired me was Antoinette (Annie) Legnini, I loved how she incorporated something unique about each person. I think the most successful part of my project was the self-portrait. Something difficult was the background because I wanted it to be nice and simple. I overcame it by following my original idea.
Niko Kinjo, Grade 7, "The View I Wanted To See"
Niko Kinjo, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"The View I Wanted To See"
My “Happy Place” is Tokyo, Japan because my family could go once a year, and with the pandemic I can't go. I added the Tokyo Sky Tree and cherry blossoms, they are my favorite things. The time of covid-19 pandemic is different by staying home and unable to go outside freely. I used origami paper, construction paper, a piece of plastic bag, chopsticks, cardboard, and cotton. I used the chopsticks for my background to talk about my culture. The difficulty I experienced was coloring the portrait and getting the tone of the light and shade, also getting the balcony glass to shine. I learned that everything, something in your house could be a material for art, which is fun!
Lucas Sanchez, Grade 7, "Tlanextic"
Lucas Sanchez, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"Tlanextic"
This is my “Happy Place” during covid-19 because my indigenous heritage, what and who comforts me, is incorporated in this collage. The significance of this portrait is that I am placed under the volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl in Mexico. Like my parents, we all incorporate Mexican heritage in our art. My difficulty creating this artwork and the collage was fitting and space management on my paper, it was almost like a puzzle glueing the pieces together to create a landscape and structures. I used textures like recycled plastic, bird feathers and felt, to add variety to my landscape. I like the patterns because they bring the collage to life.
Karla Rojas, Grade 7, "At The Beach"
Karla Rojas, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"At the Beach"
Before this pandemic my dad would take my family to the beach. I really enjoyed it because we got to see the waves and the sunsets. The materials I used for the background were cotton balls, colored paper, coins, tin foil, cardboard, small colored bands, colored post-its, and colored pencils for the hair. I used coins because there were many small shops that we bought things from that weren’t too expensive. An artwork that inspired me was by Annie Legnini, the way she used colored paper made me want to use it for the headband and the background. I’ve learned how to use many different objects to create art, no matter what materials you have.
Lavender Dubison, Grade 7, "In the Country"
Lavender Dubison, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"In the Country"
I think about going to the country during covid-19, because I live in the crowded city, and imagine the space and fresh air I could feel in the country. Locked up in my City home, I enjoyed doing my art work..Being introduced to this project made me think of what good artists I am related to. My grandmother, my mother, and my aunt have made such wonderful art! I looked back at the art that they made and they all have a happy expression or colorful bright background/characters. That's when I came up with the countryside, that makes me feel bright and happy. I learned that self-portraits aren't supposed to make you look beautiful, but to show your true colors!
Sheyla Sanz, Grade 7, "Outdoors and Free"
Sheila Sanz, Grade 7
Medium: Drawing and Mixed-Media Collage
School: Academy of the City Charter School
Art Teacher: Carla E Reyes
"Outdoors and Free"
The setting is the outside. The environment I want to give is outdoors and free. It's similar because I now can go outside but the difference is that I couldn't go at one point because of covid-19. I use construction paper and colored pencils. I use real leaves as leaves in the background, necklace around my neck, and cotton balls for clouds. Antoinette Legnini the artist inspired me because she uses very unique items for her portraits. Drawing a face and having the proportions correctly. Putting the necklace on the portrait and I did it by creating holes so they will fit.
Jose F., Grade 7, "Fear"
Jose F., Grade 7
Medium: pencil and watercolor
School: P993Q@208 D75
Teacher: Gwen Baltimore
"Fear"
I am afraid because I feel someone is watching me. I am riding a bike and I am scared.
Janely S., Grade 7, "Earth"
Janely S., Grade 7
Medium: pencil and pen
School: P993Q@208 D75
Art Teacher: Gwen Baltimore
"Earth"
The Earth is wearing a mask. One side is Covid and one side is normal.
Jacobi W., Grade 7, "Happy, Sad and Angry"
Jacobi W., Grade 7
Medium: pencil and crayon
School: P993Q@208 D75
Art Teacher: Gwen Baltimore
"Happy, Sad and Angry"
I showed my feelings with the weather. I drew a sunny day for happy. I drew a rainy day for sad. I drew a thunder storm for angry.
Jose H., Grade 8, "Loneliness"
Jose H., Grade 8
Medium: pencil and crayon
School: P993Q@208 D75
Art Teacher: Gwen Baltimore
"Loneliness"
The blue means sadness. The way it gets darker means more sadness. The person in the middle is me.
James M., Grade 8, "Sadness"
James M., Grade 8
Medium: pencil, crayon and marker
School: P993Q@208 D75
Art Teacher: Gwen Baltimore
"Sadness"
In the picture I'm lonely and the blue means the sadness. The black and the grey in the background means I'm depressed. The sun is covered in blue because I miss being with my friends during Covid.
Anjelina R.C., Grade 8, "Sadness"
Anjelina R.C., Grade 8
Medium: pencil and crayon
School: P993Q@208 D75
Art Teacher: Gwen Baltimore
"Sadness"
I drew two people who are sad. A boy lost his friend.
Marilin V., Grade 8, "Feelings"
Marilin V., Grade 8
Medium: pencil and crayon
School: P993Q@208 D75
Art Teacher: Gwen Baltimore
"Feelings"
I am calm in the morning. I am sad when something is happening with my family. I am also happy and heartbroken.
