Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Program at the Milbank Arts Hub encourages immersive engagement in a wide variety of mediums. Painting, photography, and multicultural arts and crafts classes offer young artists a myriad of ways to express themselves and tell their own nuanced story. Students can further their interest working with their peers on organized group projects, sharing their creations in regular exhibitions and shared social media channels, and participating in guided field trips and special events.
(visual arts room picture)
The Visual Arts Room at the Milbank Arts Hub is designed to give young artists a safe and welcoming space to focus, explore, and discover their craft. Stocked with arts supplies of every sort, here students work together in an inclusive and thought provoking environment where sharing ideas and positive critique is part of each session.
Guided by respected professional teaching artists, each student’s unique interests and abilities are molded in tailor-made lessons in a lively, hands-on, and easily accessible environment - whether in person, online, or a mixture of both.
What We Offer
Arts Classes
Students work closely alongside Professional Teaching Artists in a variety of multimedia forms - photography, painting, drawing, and craft making to name just a few.
Dedicated Spaces
Students enjoy safe, dedicated, and well equipped spaces to focus on mastering their art.
High Expectations
From the top down, the dance program promotes a thorough arts education with high expectations for each young artist.
Performances
All students are invited to participate in regular exhibitions where they can share their art with their peers and the larger community.
Field Trips
Students are encouraged through field trips to explore New York city’s world class galleries and meet working artists outside of the Milbank Arts Hub.
History
Visual Arts Programming at Children’s Aid has helped young artists develop and showcase their talents for decades.
High-quality visual arts teachers that span a vast array of multimedia art forms work closely with students to shape visual storytelling. Spanning classic techniques of portraiture, painting, silk screening, and photography while challenging students to contemplate current event themes and community issues of social justice, higher education, and cultural figures, gives students purpose and cause to their work.
Student exhibitions have been hosted at the National Arts Club gallery as well as prestigious venues including Museo del Barrio.
Bio
Meet the Teachers
Justin Rodriguez
My name is Justin Rodriguez and I'm a self-taught photographer, and graffiti/pop artist from the Bronx, NY. I obtained my Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice at Monroe College and my goal was to support our youth in some capacity to elevate and mentor them. I have worked with children since I was a teenager and have enjoyed bringing out their creative minds through the arts and I knew then that was my calling.
My work is inspired by graffiti and pop culture, fashion, movies to personal affirmations, and mix it all up to create a style of my own and to keep myself relevant. I specialize in mixed-medium art, paper art, graffiti to pop art, and many other creative avenues.
Throughout the years I learned to discipline, commit and set goals for myself to continue to learn and evolve my techniques and art style, into new realms of creativity. I always go by these 2 quotes/mottos:
"People who have little always try to do a lot with what they have. That's where a lot of flavor and style comes from"- Fab 5 Freddy.
"You go to have style and learn to be ORIGINAL."- KRS One