Special Education Program Funded by Center for Arts Education
Hungerford School in Staten Island’s Clifton neighborhood, serves a special needs population ages 12-21 that includes students classified as medically fragile and severely and profoundly retarded. The school uses its PAAP grant for visual arts activities for its families that includes hands-on visual art instruction, a trip to the Museum of Modern Art, and an exhibition and unveiling of participants’ work. The series is led by MoMA teaching artist Gordon Sasaki, a visual artist and wheelchair user since a 1982 automobile accident. The program includes three hands-on art making sessions dedicated to the production of one large-scaled mixed media group mural exploring the theme of community. A visit to MoMA introduces participants both to works of modern art, and through a special workshop, to the techniques and philosophies behind curating and preparing an art exhibition. Participants utilize these skills to prepare a mural unveiling and reception at the school.#
