Artists

1998–1999

With Jimmy Heath

Hello my name is Christy and I’m sixteen years old. I attend Cathedral High School and I’ve lived in New York City all of my life. I’m interested in computers and roller blading. I want to work with computers when I get older. I’m good at it. When I’m roller blading it makes me feel free from all of my worries. I like art because it can have so many different meanings. I like it when people show their emotions through art. I feel that I can learn so much from Youth Insights and from the people in the program. Working with older people will give me a chance to ask them how they see life. I think I’ll like hearing what young people have to say about paintings.

I’m Dayana. I’m seventeen and I go to South Bronx High School. I was born in the Dominican Republic and lived there until I was ten. Now I live in the Bronx. I’m interested in photography because I love taking pictures and catching actions that might not be repeated. I love paintings because I feel so many emotions when I look at them. Youth Insights is interesting because it’s a new experience and it is centered on art. I’m looking forward to working with seniors because I think you can learn a lot from older people, especially when you’re giving them information. They may teach you something too. I think working with young people could be good too. Working with people that are different from you can be a great experience. It’s always nice to get to know new people.

Hi, my name is Edwin. I’m seventeen and I go to school at La Salle Academy in Manhattan. I was born and raised on the Lower East Side. What I like about art is the fact that it can resemble different things and emotions. I like everything that art can offer because you can expand it to whatever you want. I’m also interested in art because art represents the past up to the present. I’m also interested in music because singing makes me feel like I can show the world the real me. Youth Insights will give me the opportunity to teach adults and kids about all different types of art. What better way is there to communicate to diverse groups of people than through art? I think I will like working with older people because they have more experience and can give young people advice on how to improve themselves. I think I’ll like working with kids because they are young and ready to learn and interact with teens. As a teenager, I think of myself as a young adult that kids can look up to.

Hey, my name is Emily. I’m sixteen years old and I attend Cathedral High School. I was born and raised in Manhattan. I am interested in art (painting/drawing) because I can use it to get across how I’m feeling. I am also interested in social work because I would like to deal with teens and help them when I’m older. In art I love how the artists use their views on the world or whatever artwork they’re doing so that I can see how they felt at the time. I am interested in Youth Insights because I will benefit from knowing how to communicate and compromise with people. And it will be a meaningful experience that will help me in the future. I think that I will like working with older people because since they’ve been around longer they will usually relate to the art in a different way than we teenagers will. I think I’ll like working with younger people because they are vibrant and full of energy when sharing their perspectives.

Hi, I’m Eva. I’m sixteen and I go to Townsend Harris High School in Queens. I was born in Bangladesh and I came to the US when I was six. My family is from Afghanistan. I love music and playing tennis. Music makes me feel like I can do anything. As for tennis, it keeps me in shape, and healthy competition is good for the mind. I can’t explain how much I love art. Everything that can be said about art has been said already. All I know is that if I lost all my senses except my vision, and I looked at a beautiful painting, my world would still feel whole. Teaching people about art is a gift that should be shared. If what I say can make someone look at anything (whether it’s life or art) with a different perspective, I’m happy. I think I’ll like working with older people. They have done everything I plan to do. I think of them as my future. It’s so cool to think I’m teaching myself. On the other hand, younger people have these pristine ideals. To teach them something worthwhile really amazes me.

Hi! My name is Jinhee (pronounced Jeanee), and I am a student at Townsend Harris High School at Queens College. I was born in Kyungidoh, South Korea and raised in Queens, New York. What I like about art is the creativity of it. I like the freedom to create whatever I want, and it can still be considered a good piece. I admire the fashion industry because of the designers. They are able to create artistic masterpieces that can be worn on the body. I also like listening to Korean music, hip hop, and classical music. I’m interested in Youth Insights because it’s a great program to advance my knowledge of art, and to learn to become a better speaker to many different people. Working with older people would be an interesting experience because they probably know extra information about some things and can contribute to discussions with their years of experience and knowledge. Working with younger people will definitely be equally interesting and helpful because they are so inquisitive.

Hi, I’m Joomi. I’m seventeen years old and I am a student at Benjamin Cardoza High School. I’ve lived in New York City all of my life. I’m really interested in Biology because living things fascinate me. In the future, I would like to be a surgical veterinarian or a research scientist. I also like art because I can create images that exist nowhere else in the universe and because I can make people feel different emotions through my artwork. I became interested in Youth Insights as a way for me to meet people, experience talking in front of people, overcome my shyness and learn more about contemporary American art. I think working with older people will be interesting because they have more experience and wisdom, they see the world differently from me, and they can give me a different perspective on life. On the other hand, I think working with younger people will teach me patience.

Hi! My name is Kamira. I’m fifteen years old and I‘m a student at Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn. I’ve only been in New York for five years. I was born in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m mostly interested in singing and acting. I like the entertainment part of our culture, like movies, TV shows, plays, and concerts. The thing I like most about art is that it can be mysterious. I like when you have to guess what a painting is about. I’m interested in Youth Insights because it will help me to interact with other people of different backgrounds. I think I will like working with seniors because they can teach me new things and I can teach them new things. I know I will like working with younger people because whatever I do they will look at it and learn from it. I like being a role model for other people.

My name is Lisa and I am eighteen years old. The name of my school is Long Island City High School. I live in Queens but I was raised all over New York City. The two things that are of most interest to me are drama and art. I love drama and art. I feel they have some kind of way of telling us who we are. Art is still and shows you life in still movement. Drama shows you art live and in real time. These two art forms tell me more about myself. What I like about art is the stories you get from a painting or a photograph. I can look at a painting or a photograph for hours and still never find all of its stories. I am interested in Youth Insights because I like to learn new things. I feel that Youth Insights will help me see and understand art more than I do now. I would like to work with older people so I can show them that there’s still fun in life. I’d like to show them that art can be more than just a painting, it’s a story. I also think I’ll like working with younger people because I will give them information and they will give me information. I feel they are fun to be with. Kids see art in all different kinds of ways. They also see the things most people miss.

My name is Lucy and I’m seventeen years old. I’m a student at Townsend Harris High School in Queens. I was born in Korea and raised in the United States. My interests are art and psychology. Art because of the way it can grasp someone and psychology because it is allows you to explore the intricate workings of the human mind. What I like most about art is that it is colorful, expressive, and different from one work to another. It is unpredictable and always subject to new revelations. I’m really interested in Youth Insights because it concerns art. The program is interactive and gives very good opportunities for exposure to options and ideas that deal with different artists. Youth Insights is a very culturally enriching experience. I think I’ll like working with older people. Stereotypically speaking, older people are serious and have more experiences and they’re probably aware of a large range of possibilities for art. Younger people, I’ve realized are actually very creative. I think I’ll experience more surprises from them and have fun getting to know their imaginative thinking process. Both older and younger people have different perspectives according to their age and experience. Each with different benefits that offer a unique (irreplaceable) learning experience.

Hi! My name is Nelya. I’m seventeen years old and I am a student at Benjamin Cardoza High School in Queens. I was born in Moldova, Russia and immigrated to America at the age of eight. I now I live in Queens. I’m interested in art because it let’s me express myself. I also like it because it is limitless, anything can be considered art. I also love driving because it makes me feel like I’m in control and it relaxes me. I’m interested in Youth Insights because the program could help me acquire knowledge and many skills. I t will prepare me for future obstacles in life. Since I have a lot of respect for seniors, I think I might like working with them. I definitely think I can learn from them. I feel the same about younger people. I love kids.

Hi. My name is Rafael and I’m fifteen years old. I currently attend the High School of Art and Design. I was born in the Dominican Republic, but I was raised in New York City. I love to draw because it allows me to express how I feel inside. I also like playing video games. They contradict almost everything about school and it allows me to relax and have fun. What I like about art is that your interpretation of a certain piece of artwork may vary from someone else’s and it lets you create your own small world in which you control what’s happening. I’m interested in Youth Insights because I think it will help me gain professional experience as well as learn how to associate with different kinds of people. I think I’ll like working with older people because I will get a chance to learn more about what life was like at another time or even at the beginning of this century. Older people also have a lot of experience with many different things and their advice may help me through a problem. I think I’ll like working with younger people because it will allow me to remember what it was like to be a kid and how much I’ve changed.

Hi, my name is Sarah, and I’m seventeen years old. I’m a student at Hunter College High School. I was born in Manhattan but I’ve spent most of my life in Queens. I enjoy painting and writing because they’re the most accessible forms of expression and they’re fun. I like how you can look at a painting, or listen to music or read a story and be completely enveloped in it, feeling the joy and pain the artists put into it. I’m interested in Youth Insights because the program brings together a diverse group of teenagers and teaches us through hands-on experience about art and life. I think I’ll like working with older people because they have lots of experiences to share and (hopefully) will welcome us to their scene. In contrast, little people are fun, exuberant, and exciting, and similar to older people. I also like the fact that little people are often willing to share their time.

Hello, my name is Stella and I’m sixteen years old. I attend William E. Grady High School. I was born and raised in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. I am interested in animals and nature. I am an animal lover. Another one of my interests is marketing which has to do with money. I am also interested in going out to parties (clubbing) when I have time. I’m a big clubber because I can be really free when I’m dancing. It’s kind of like my own art form. One thing I like about art is the way things are painted and the use of color. I like the people in the art world and the artistic look they have. I am mainly interested in Youth Insights because it’s a better and new experience for me. It helps me to get close to what I like, art, music, etc. I think I will like working with older people because they view art differently than young people. And, I think I will like working with younger people because it will give me the chance to meet new people. I think I’ll find their view on art interesting.

Hi, I’m Tanika and I attend Townsend Harris High School. I was born in Jamaica, West Indies and raised throughout New York City. My interests are in photography and politics. I love photography because it allows me to manipulate things with rigid structure. I love politics because I love to discuss issues and the hidden aspects of the art of politics. I love art because it allows everyone to express themselves without boundaries. My opinion is correct in all that I say. Art is the ultimate form of equality. Art gives you the ability to make something beautiful without it being restrained by others. I am interested in Youth Insights because I want to broaden my views and make myself more accessible to all fields of art and all types of people. Youth Insights will also give me the opportunity to decide if I wish to go into museum studies or graphic arts. I feel that older people know more about what has happened and have the ability to foresee what will happen. Older people have great fountains of knowledge to uncover. I enjoy working with children because their minds are so innocent. Children have hearts that are pure and judgments that are unbiased. I have realized that you can learn the most from people who seem to know the least.

Hi! My name is Venturiely. I’m seventeen and I attend Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School. I moved to New York three years ago from the Dominican Republic. I’m interested in art because it is a way to express feelings. I’m also interested in international trade because I consider global marketing to be an interesting field. What I like about art is that figures and colors can say more than most words can say. Youth Insights is interesting to me because I think it will give me the opportunity to grow personally and intellectually. I look forward to working with older people because they are experienced and of course they are mature. I’m excited about working with younger people because they can be very challenging and funny.

What’s up? My name is Wil. I’m eighteen years old and I go to Hillcrest High School in Queens. I was born in the northern part of Colombia and I was raised in the projects on West 90th Street. My family came to New York when I was two years old. I’m most interested in the arts and in sports. Both art and sports get me to focus and they both involve a whole lot of intensity. What I like about art the most is its expressions, emotions, and different meanings. I feel that art allows me to show my true identity—the one that is buried deep within me. Youth Insights helps me work towards realizing my potential and it also helps me with my self-control. It’s fun and comfortable working with an enjoyable and great bunch of my peers. I think I would like working with older people because they will help me prepare for my future by sharing their experience and accomplishments. I think I will like working with people my age or younger because it will give me more responsibility and chances to communicate.

Hi! I’m Yara. I’m seventeen years old and I am a student at the DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. I was born in Puerto Rico and came to the United States when I was five years old. I’m interested in all kinds of sports, mainly playing them. I also like listening to music. For me it is a way to release energy. What I like about art is that it is a reflection of people, life, and reality. I’m interested in Youth Insights as a way to learn and teach about art and life. Since this is my second year in Youth Insights, I think that working with seniors is really cool. Youth Insights breaks the stereotype that elders have about teens and it helps them realize that all teens aren’t the same by the different conversations that we have. Younger people, despite what everyone might think, are really smart. Sometimes their ideas are overlooked because people think that what children have to say is unimportant. Kids have a lot of interesting things to say.