Grand Avenue artists visit Hofstra
Students from Grand Avenue
Middle School's art cl ub recently stepped outside the classroom for a hands-o n artistic experience at the Hofstra University Museum of Art. The visit allowed students to con nect their in-school studies with professional art in an academic museum setting
The field trip focused on "Love Is the Messa ge," a photography exhibition by accl aimed artist Jamel Shabazz Kown for docume nting scenes of love, reslience, and community within Afr ican-American cu l tu r e, Shabazz describes his photography as " v i sual medicin e" for society - a phrase that resonated dee ply with the visiting students
During the tour, a museum educ a tor guided the group through a "close look in g " activity that c hallenge d them to examine the details of Shabazz's work. Students identified composit i onal elements such as line, balance, and color - concepts they had previously studied in class � and discussed ow these artistic ch oices convey emotion and meaning
Inspired by the exhibit, stu-
dents later created t he i r own
photo transfers using printed reprodlilmons of Shs.bazz's :irnag-
es. They layered the transfers with watercolor paint to express I personal i nte rpretations of love.
fr ien dship , and unity, blending � technique with creativity �
"I was so i m pre ssed with the � k i ds' und erst anding of t he
theme of the exhibition and how they we re able to analyze the compo s ition of the photos," said art teacher an d club adviser Nicholas Giordano. "They really embraced the experience and brought their own creativity and insight to the work. The art club members definitely felt the love of viewing and creating art."
Born and raised i n Brooklyn, Shabazz be gan photographing people on t h e s t reets of Ne w York City in the 1980s, capturing the fashion, energy, and spirit of his comm uni ty His work has been exhibited around the world and is featured in major museum collections, celebrated for its humanistic storytelling and its ability to document joy and dignity within everyday life.
- Brian Kacharaba