ANNUAL REPORT FY18 (JULY 2018 – JUNE 2019)

Thank you for supporting Children’s Museum of the Arts last year—a period of extreme highs for our organization, but also one in which we experienced great loss. We’ve prepared this report on our activities from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 to share with you just how far your contribution to CMA goes.

In honor of our 30th anniversary, we embarked on an ambitious endeavor to teach children the power of civic engagement through art. Our CIVICKIDS campaign encouraged children to Make Art and Make a Difference. CMA partnered with organizations all over the world and in our own backyard, launching 55 offsite artmaking events that brought CIVICKIDS right into the NYC neighborhoods that need it most.

Our exhibition series during the CIVICKIDS campaign was a three-part program. First, Art & Activism: Drawing the Line gave us the tools and strategies for making social change; then A Way with Words: The Power and Art of the Book showed how to develop our stories and form our own narratives. We then presented Breaking the Glass Ceiling by E.V. Day to inspire strength and give us the platform to break our own glass ceiling.

CMA served 139,296 children and families last year, 57,044 of whom were served through our free Community Programs. This means that over 41% of our work was made possible by your generous contribution. We’re proud to bring top-quality arts education programs to children with physical and developmental disabilities; groups from Title I schools and Head Start programs; families in crisis; and many, many more.

Sadly, this is also the year in which we lost our Executive Director, Barbara Hunt McLanahan. In losing Barbara, we lost not only a leader and a mentor, but the person who championed our free Community Programs throughout her tenure at CMA. We are so glad that she got to see the CIVICKIDS campaign come to light, as she was always certain that art is a conduit for change. She is and will remain dearly missed.

Still, we look forward to continuing to advance CMA, and in thinking about the future that CMA kids bring. And we look forward to seeing you at CMA in 2020!

All best,

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT

William S. FloydPresident, Board of Directors

In honor of the 30th anniversary of our joining the NYC arts community, CMA made a commitment to grow our reach — worldwide!

Our year-long CIVICKIDS campaign spanned a series of local, national, and international partnerships that helped children recognize their civic potential. CIVICKIDS spotlighted civic engagement, social consciousness, and community pride through the act of collective art-making.

“Our goal is always to create hands-on art activities that serve multiple purposes. One purpose is just to engage in making art, and that’s easy. But another purpose is to use art-making as a way to help our students explore who they are, and what their role is in their neighborhood and community. The CIVICKIDS lessons are really helping us achieve that goal.”

— CIVICKIDS partner and Knoxville Museum of Art Teaching Artist Colleen Thornbrugh

CIVICKIDS

CMA issued monthly digital challenges to create a project based on themes of civic engagement. Following a simple How-To video, children created their project and were encouraged to share their work on social media using the hashtag #CMACIVICKIDS.

CMA hosted 55 outposts at 40 different locations across all five boroughs. These off-site workshops, which served 3,965 children in total, brought the focus of social and environmental engagement out to local communities.

Memorable events across NYC included a poster-making party with the Young & Mighty March in Sunnyside, Queens; Outdoors for Autism in the Bronx hosted by INCLUDEnyc; art-making at the World Refugee Day Festival at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music; and our own Town Hall at CMA, hosted and moderated by children.

CIVICKIDS

“I have to say thank you so much for allowing my students and I the opportunity to create amazing artwork through technology. They were amazed and completely engaged!”

— Educator from a school group visit

Walk into CMA, and your family will be led through art-making projects by CMA’s Teaching Artists, who are all working artists themselves. Our team develops workshops that connect to the exhibitions, following CMA’s pedagogy of LOOK MAKE SHARE. In our two gallery spaces, children and families are encouraged to LOOK at the exhibitions as the first step in their CMA experience. Children then MAKE art right in the gallery or in immediately adjacent studio spaces. Families then SHARE the artwork that they create with each other and with their new friends from CMA!

139,296 children and families served last year

57,044 attended our free Community Programs, a 31% increase over last year!

LOOK MAKE SHARE

EXHIBITIONS IN THE CYNTHIA C. WAINWRIGHT GALLERY

We are proud to note that our exhibited artists reflect the rich diversity of New York City. Last year’s shows featured 60% women, 23% artists over 60, 15% international artists, 25% artists of color, and 18% artists with a disability.

CMA is proud to introduce children and families not only to art-making activities, but to some of the highest-caliber contemporary visual art. We are often a family’s first collective art museum experience. Exhibitions spark discussion, bringing art and ideas together. The whole family can make emotional and aesthetic connections throughout our space.

Each exhibition anchors the Museum’s arts education programming for its duration. Broad themes ensure that the exhibitions are accessible for school groups of all ages, families, and for our art studios’ different materials, whether traditional fine arts or our media lab of animation and film.

Long-Bin Chen, Guanvin, 2017, courtesy of the artist

“If we are to empower our youth, if we are to prepare them for a dynamic future—we must help them develop their creativity. As the essence of the human exper ience—it shapes the future… it is the building block that connects our human experience to life itself, a core discipline for developing human potential.”

-Bob Bates, Inner-City Arts

EXHIBITIONS

In the Cynthia C. Wainwright GalleryArt & Activism: Drawing the LineSeptember 15, 2018 – October 28, 2018

Exhibiting Artists Andrea Bowers, Rico Gatson, Eric Gottesman, Guerilla Girls, Monica Lundy & Walter Maciel, Gordon Parks, Shane Aslan Selzer, CMA Permanent Collection

Art & Activism: Drawing the Line looked at art as a form of activism and considered different aesthetic strategies that artists have used to address the urgent questions of their time. The artists included in the exhibition drew from protests and used contemporary art to rethink conventions of gender, identity, immigration, and race. This exhibition studied ways in which artists use visual representation to engage audiences outside of institutions. The artists exhibited have also considered different modes of activism to question, protest, and engage within art institutions, and used their work to produce evidence of inspirational activism, commentaries on injustice, and as tools to prompt social change.

Art & Activism: Drawing the Line Installation, 2018

In the Bridge Ryan Frank: Trash PortraitsRyan Frank’s Trash Portraits were a series of photographs shot directly over the circular openings of the metal trash cans that are placed on New York City street corners. Frank considered the trash cans as still life portraits, illustrating a shared, constantly changing and usually unconsidered public space. Frank shone a light on the issues of consumption, climate change, geography, sociology, and civic responsibility, and asked the viewer to look at the hard questions of trash.

In the Bridge Rachel Marks: Naturae LiberRachel Marks‘ installation in the Bridge Space created an immersive installation of a forest made of books. With each step into the otherworldly plant life, books were cut, ripped, painted, sanded, and stacked—transformed to create new vegetation. Naturae Liber featured tree trunks created from old book covers, a waterfall created from hundreds of attached pages, foliage hanging from the ceiling, and delicate paper mushrooms growing out from the walls and windows.

EXHIBITIONS

In the Cynthia C. Wainwright GalleryA Way With Words: The Power and Art of the BookNovember 29, 2018 – April 29, 2019

Exhibiting Artists Cara Barer, Doug Beube, Long-Bin Chen, Casey Curran, Brian Dettmer, Ann Hamilton, Andrew Hayes, Lisa Kokin, Guy Laramée, Mike Stilkey, Robert The, CMA Permanent Collection

A Way With Words showed the transformation of everyday books into expressions of identity, community, environmentalism, memory, and reconstructed narratives. The exhibition drew attention to the long and remarkable history of the book. CMA’s guests viewed unconventional treatments such as cutting, weaving, tearing, burning, and shredding, as artists transformed books into sculptures, photographs, drawings, and paintings that captured the book’s significant history and power to inform the public.

Guy Laramee, The Grand Library, 2003/2004, courtesy of the artist and JHB Gallery

In the Cynthia C. Wainwright GalleryE.V. Day: Breaking the Glass Ceiling May 16 2019 - October 27, 2019

Known for her gravity-defying suspension sculptures that explore themes of science fiction, space, gender, and humor, E. V. Day illuminated contradictions in gender roles and stretched the confines of social stereotypes in CMA’s main gallery. Featuring turnbuckles, monofilament, and angle iron that built multiple suspended trajectories in the ceiling, Day employed hardware to build tension, highlight resistance, and imply velocity. The ceiling installation was complemented by shattered glass images displayed around the perimeter of the gallery referencing cosmic aspirations — the strong desire to achieve something that might feel just outside of one’s reach.

In the Bridge Laura Bernstein: Hybrid EcologiesTaking inspiration from The Book of Miracles, an illustrated manuscript depicting the miraculous phenomena and apocalyptic visions of the 16th century, Hybrid Ecologies looked to the past to speculate on the future of our changing times. As visitors travelled through Hybrid Ecologies, the boundaries known to separate ecosystems collapse and begin to break. Creatures of the sea, sky, and land all inhabited the same space. Visitors were invited to step inside the suspended forms that act as helmets, to contemplate possibilities for cohabitation, mutation, and hybridization.

EV Day, Breaking the Glass Ceiling, 2019, courtesy of the artist

EXHIBITIONS

CMA’s art-making studios occupy the best rooms in the Museum, with large windowed spaces for the traditional visual arts, and top-of-the-line equipment in our Media Lab. Unlike many art museums, we also invite our visitors to make art in the main gallery directly inspired by the contemporary artwork before them, as well as in our extensive classroom spaces.

WORKSHOP STUDIOS

MEDIA LAB & CLAY BARFor children between the ages of 5 and 15, CMA’s Media Lab provides the best of STEAM projects using Mac equipment for animation, recording, filmmaking, pixilation, editing, and 3D printing. At CMA’s popular Clay Bar, young sculptors use colorful clay to create animals, plants, birds, and habitats, as well as creatures from the imagination!

stART STUDIOThis studio is customized for our youngest learners, children aged 5 and under. Utilizing sensory materials and exploring mark-making, children explore their creativity in our stimulating space.

PEPPERMAN FAMILY FINE ARTS STUDIOThis studio is home to drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, collage, and more! CMA’s Teaching Artists develop weekly rotating workshops that reflect our exhibitions and turn each visitor’s museum experience into a cohesive whole.

SCHOOL GROUP VISITS

CMA AND NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS

Last year, 9,573 students and educators from 374 different classes visited CMA through school and partnership visits.

Of that group, 2,019 students and educators from 80 different classrooms received a free field trip through our scholarship program.

A full 21% of our school group visits were provided to the school free of charge!

CMA loves New York City classrooms! Schools groups visit CMA, and CMA Teaching Artists bring arts residencies to classrooms for short or long-term projects.

CMA AND NYC SCHOOLS

CMA brings the arts to the classroom by partnering with Pre-K to 12th grade classrooms throughout New York City. We use project-based learning to integrate both Fine Arts and Media Arts methodologies into our programs. In alignment with the NYC Department of Education, our school programs support Common Core Learning Standards, NYC DOE’s Blueprint Standards for Teaching and Learning in the Visual Arts and the Moving Image, Framework for 21st Century Learning, and Universal Design for Learning.

“Thank you so much for your amazing teaching and facilitating of our stop- motion projects! You have a unique ability to connect with the students and tailor the program to meet each child's individual needs. Ms. Kolm and Ms. Lindon's students were always so excited to come to the program each week, and because of you they felt so acknowledged and valued. Their final films were so wonderful, but watching them through this process was equally wonderful. They were so independent and took full ownership of their work, and were so proud of their accomplishments!”

— Participating Educator

29,951 students and teachers were impacted in just one year!

SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS

COMMUNITY PROGRAMSLast year, 57,044 children and families participated in CMA’s free Community Programs, which serve some of NYC’s most disadvantaged children.

This includes those in homeless shelters, in foster care or under supervision of child welfare agencies, students attending Title 1 schools, children with physical and developmental disabilities, and first- or second-generation immigrant families. Your contribution makes such an impact!

“City Explorers LOVED our trip to CMA and the activities you had planned for us. Thank you for being so flexible, providing an inclusive and rich opportunity for our explorers, and opening these experiences up to our population. We appreciate your generosity and providing us with a scholarship so both groups could participate. The artwork the kids made was something new and exciting and we're so happy they were exposed to such a cool project!”

— Enrichment Supervisor, Manhattan Behavioral Center

CMA at SUBMERGE! NYC Marine Science Festival, 2019

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

ACCESSIBLE ARTS

Your contribution helps bring CMA to low-income communities. CMA’s Accessible Arts program welcomed 24,242 individuals to the Museum!

CMA partnered with Cool Culture to provide free admission for families with children in Title I schools and/or Head Start — 6,106 children and families last year!

In partnership with all three public library systems in NYC, CMA offered free admission through the newly launched CulturePass program. We hosted 1,809 people in the inaugural year.

CMA offers Thursday afternoon Pay-As-You-Wish hours, which served 3,079 New Yorkers last year.

CMA offers free admission for infants and seniors, so that the whole family can enjoy the museum together — 1,239 free passes last year.

Free Family Passes are distributed to children served by our free Community Programs, and 966 were redeemed last year!

CMA offers discounted admission to Free Arts Members, our neighborhood group, educators, military personnel, and home-schooled families. We additionally offer reciprocal membership discounts with other major NYC museums. Through these offerings, 11,043 people received discounted admission to CMA!

Additionally, 49 students received scholarships to our numerous art classes, an offering which provides free classes that range in value from $200 (one-day camp) to $500 (after-school program) to $595 (week-long camp).

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

“In a flexible yet controlled environment [Mom] has had the chance to test her boundaries and abilities as a parent. They have new means of expression in which to communicate with one another. This has been important as [son] works to increase his communication skills.”

- From a referring case worker

ARTogether

20 Families served last year!

ARTogether is a family support model designed to help families with children in foster care or recently reunified families. Together, the family practices positive parenting strategies through shared creative experiences. Our model uses a natural family setting—our children’s museum—to support families who are most often served at agency offices. Here at CMA, we facilitate bonding and help forge new, positive memories while families transition toward their renewed lives as a unified whole.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

539 children served in Inclusive Weekend Programs last year

INCLUSIVE WEEKEND PROGRAMS

“The inclusion program at CMA is wonderful because it offers my son an environment where he feels comfortable and safe to try new things and meet new people. Much of his day is spent trying to keep up with his peers and it can sometimes lead to frustration. Here, he can move at his own pace and explore in his own way.”

- Mother of a CMA Student

During the school year, CMA offers free weekend programs to children with different abilities, providing an enriching space for social interaction, dexterity, communication skills, etc.

CMA’s Inclusive Saturday Program for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder enriches students’ creative skills and provides materials for multi-sensory exploration, all while providing camaraderie and the opportunity to build social skills.

Our Inclusive Sunday Program for children with physical disabilities connects our students with accessible arts education led by CMA Teaching Artists, supported by Occupational Therapists, who help adapt the art-making activities, building physical dexterity and tactile learning skills.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

RESTARTRESTART provides free structured fine arts classes for children who are experiencing homelessness at their transitional living facility in Brownsville, Brooklyn. These families often have few afterschool resources available to them. Our two-hour weekly classes feature painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and other mediums, with all materials purchased by CMA.

30 students enrolled last year.

ARTIMECMA works with local nonprofits to identify families that may be avoiding services due to immigration status or language barriers, and bring those families engagement and cultural enrichment. ARTime gives them the opportunity to work as a family on projects, while also acclimating them to the cultural and social resources available in NYC.

Last year, ARTIME hosted 521 children and families.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

GIRLSTORIESGirlStories is a free after-school program for girls and non-binary artists ages 11-15 that empowers students to bring their unique perspectives into media arts fields that are largely male-dominated. The program exposes students to the work of women artists in disciplines that include filmmaking, animation, and illustration, and introduces them to accomplished women in the field. We provide the students with hands-on experience with techniques, processes, equipment, and technologies used in making art.

302 students dropped in to YAK last school year, a 45% increase over the prior year!

YOUNG ARTIST KOLLECTIVE (YAK)YAK is a free program that provides emerging young artists in 6th-9th grade with studio space and professional materials along with artistic and technical guidance. CMA’s expert Teaching Artists provide skills training and mentorship in collaborative or individual projects in their chosen discipline, including painting, drawing, sculpture, textile, fashion design, printmaking, animation, photography, digital photography, and editing (photo, audio, and film).

This intensive program served 37 young artists last year.

“I think it's important to share my story because there aren't many women in this field, especially women of color. So I think it's important to tell my story to inspire and encourage others, and to let them know that they can achieve all of their goals and dreams.”

— Participating student

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

CULTURAL FESTIVALSCMA hosts a monthly festival series — all activities are free with general admission! Each festival celebrates a different cultural group in New York City and incorporates both traditional and contemporary art of that culture. Special guest artists working in the performing arts are hosted for each festival, bringing exciting performances to CMA once a month. Our Teaching Artists program the Fine Arts Studio and Media Lab with workshops inspired by the celebrated culture. Each festival runs a full four days, beginning on Thursday and culminating in an all-day celebration on Sunday.

Cultural communities represented last year include: Puerto Rican, Polish, Peruvian, Indigenous, New York City, Vietnamese, Black, Yemeni, Bangladeshi, Japanese, Ethiopian, LGBTQIA, and Grecian

“My child loves that these workshops are interactive and that he gets to interact and dance with the artists.”

—Participating parent

Last year, 13,552 visitors flocked to our Cultural Festivals, and 21 guest artists were invited.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

FREE ARTS ISLAND OUTPOSTCMA’s Free Arts Island Outpost on Governors Island serves children and families on weekends from May to October. CMA Teaching Artists practice a weekly changing artist-in-residency style program, designing new art workshops each week that fit our open-air studio. We feature painting, sculpture, animation, and more, and in some cases build on the previous week’s projects! Large collaborative group projects are a crucial part of the program.

18 weeks of the wonderful outdoors!

4,138 children and families visited our house and yard on Governors Island this summer!

“My kids love art and this is a perfect place to explore and think big! Thank you!”

—Participating parent

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTFor our staff and more!

Our core values are in place when training our staff to help them bring the best possible experience to the diverse children that we serve. We offer training in topics such as Inclusivity and Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning, Positive Behavior Support Strategies, and more.

149 artists and educators participated in our Professional Development workshops last year!

CMA is a renowned source of Professional Development and invites partner organizations to participate and learn from our experts as well.

CMA is deeply saddened by the loss of our Executive Director Barbara Hunt McLanahan, who passed away on June 25, 2019, after a hard-fought battle with cancer. She was 55 years old. Appointed to the position of Executive Director in February 2013, Barbara was a driving force in the Museum’s programmatic growth, and championed CMA’s free Community Programs. Most recently, Barbara conceived of the Museum’s 30th anniversary campaign, CIVICKIDS: Make Art. Make A Difference.

Barbara dedicated her career to nurturing and showcasing artists through her wide-ranging accomplishments as a curator and arts administrator on both sides of the Atlantic. Her position as the Executive Director at CMA reflected her steadfast belief in the transformative power of art and commitment to making art accessible to all. As she stated in a 2016 interview, “Side-by-side, non-judgmental art making encourages the celebration of individual identity, alongside empathy and respect for difference, for others who look different and who express themselves differently.”

IN MEMORIAM

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MISSION & CONTACT INFORMATION

OUR MISSION The mission of the Children’s Museum of the Arts is to introduce children and their families to the transformative power of the arts by providing opportunities to make art side-by-side with working artists.

Children’s Museum of the Arts103 Charlton Street, NYC • cmany.org • 212-274-0986