This exhibition celebrates the creativity of young children and the innovative work they produce in a unique art program: Studio in a School. Representative work from STUDIO programs in all five boroughs of New York City is on view.
Imagine That! shares the vivid imagination of children and the artwork they create, reflecting the experiences they have as they grow up and learn about the world. It provides distinctive perceptions of their city, neighborhoods, lives, dreams, and hopes. The art in this exhibition includes thought-provoking portraits, fantastic animals, and magically surreal landscapes. The choice of colors and textures each child makes prompt feelings and details containing whole worlds of thought. This allows the viewer a glimpse into the struggles each child faces in shaping and translating conceptual ideas using paper, paint, wood and clay. The works reflect the simplicity and energy young people bring to art-making as well as the associated feelings and thoughts that are translated into each child’s vision. Children’s explorations in art brings them, and the viewer, a sense that these efforts are worthwhile and valuable.
STUDIO programs provide instruction using high-quality visual arts materials under the guidance and expertise of professional artists in collaboration with classroom teachers.
Children have the opportunity to explore various media in an environment that respects and nurtures creative expression. Research, as well as our more than 25 years of experience with children throughout the City, demonstrates that a pre-verbal child learns through the senses. Sometimes art materials themselves provide inspiration. The shape of wood blocks, the texture of torn paper or the nuances of watercolors can suggest direction. Discoveries made with materials enable children to learn that unexpected results can turn into wonderful surprises, often more exhilarating than the initial ideas. Under the artist’s careful guidance, children are encouraged to look at objects thoughtfully in imaginative ways. They might discover that the bumpy skin of an avocado resembles the surface of the moon, or fantasize about being the fruit of an unknown fantasy flower. Children’s artwork represents a world of intricate and imaginative qualities. Experiencing Imagine That!, viewers are reminded that anything is possible.
„Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Pablo Picasso | 
