The Arts Alive Initiative is a partnership between the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and Elizabeth New Jersey Public Schools. Since 2009, the Arts Alive Initiative has brought 300 Elizabeth high school students from Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy (TJAA) to the Art Center for an arts education program that expands their knowledge and understanding of contemporary art through gallery tours and instruction from professional artists. The program culminates with critiques of the students’ work by the staff curator and three exhibitions of their art per year. A sample of student work can be seen below.
Sneakers created by TJAA students during a custom sneaker design workshop with artist Rachel Yoakum, Spring 2011.
Catalogue featuring the work from TJAA student exhibition “Remembering”. All colored cut paper collages were created in response to the fall 2015 exhibition “Casey Ruble: Everything That Rises”. Click to view full catalogue.
Gallery card from the TJAA exhibition “Love Me, Myself, and I” featuring artwork created in response to the spring 2016 exhibition “Recharging the Image: Selections from the Mott-Warsh Collection”. The students explored their identities through the creation of self-portraits. Click image to view full card.
Gallery card from the TJAA exhibition “Doppler Play” showcasing artwork created in response to the fall 2014 exhibition “Doppler Shift” which featured geometric abstraction. Click image to view full card.
This video was made during an animation workshop led by exhibiting artist Sarah Klein with students from the TJAA. Klein’s artwork was featured in the fall 2014 exhibition Doppler Shift.
Cara Bramson 