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SMoCA's Visions program, now in its twelfth year, brings together ca. 40 high-school art students from diverse Phoenix metropolitan-area high schools for a year-long series of activities designed to cultivate artistic skills, collaboration and civic engagement. The program was founded in 1999 and is based on a strong community partnership between the Museum and participating schools, which represent economically, ethnically and culturally diverse communities.
Students are chosen for participation by their visual-art teachers at the start of the school year. During the course of the year, participating students, teachers and professional guest artists and speakers work side-by-side in workshops, lectures and discussions. Students have the rare opportunity to interact with prominent visiting artists from around the world. Visions increases students' understanding of modern and contemporary art, architecture and design and fosters cultural diversity, teamwork and interpersonal communication.
above image: group photo of 2009-10 students in front of SMoCA
At the start of the year, the students participate in a three-day retreat that includes team-building exercises, diversity training and artist-led workshops. The retreat sets the tone for the coming year and gives the teens the confidence they need to explore and freely share their ideas. Throughout the year, in various programs and workshops, they learn new techniques, acquire an understanding of the visual arts in relation to history and culture, learn how to recognize the merits of others' work and develop an understanding of the function of art in society. They collaborate on projects with community-service organizations such as Free Arts Arizona (for younger children, many of whom are victims of abuse). The year culminates in an exhibition of the students’ work in SMoCA’s young@art gallery. In addition to experiencing close contact with professional artists, students develop special friendships with students from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. A primary goal of the program is to break down stereotypes and create an environment where respect, communication and a healthy exchange of ideas are the norm.
In 2009-10, participating students from Central, Coronado, McClintock and Marcos de Niza high schools worked towards the exhibition theme of Text Messages (txt msgs). Although artists have incorporated text in visual art since ancient times, it is something that many contemporary artists are revisiting. High school students have invented a language all their own, called “texting”. The theme of txt msgs invited students to explore a visual language of meaningful messages. Some creative responses to this theme included “text” in the form of Morse code, sign language, tattoos, Asian calligraphy and graffiti.
Visions students delved into ongoing discussions and hands-on workshops to guide their artmaking. Each month, they met with a different artist. They visited studios, learned new techniques and debated ideas in the Museum's galleries. The success of Visions is based on such intimate access, cumulative expertise, communal focus and one-on-one dialogue. Students in the 2009-10 program met different artists who purposefully use language or text in their work, showing students good examples and strategies for doing this themselves.
As an example, ceramicist and green building artist Joan Baron met with sculpture students at her Scottsdale studio. They collaboratively created a ceramic wall piece that is inscribed with messages and is now permanently installed in SMoCA’s studio classroom.
above: Visions students create a mosaic and ceramic tile sculpture, under the supervision of artist Joan Baron.
Another highlight for the Visions students was meeting artist William Wegman, and discussing his exhibition at SMoCA, Unexpected Wegman.
above: Artist William Wegman talks with Visions students at SMoCA.
For the culminating exhibition, each student chose to focus on a topic of personal import or to examine an important issue in a very unique way. As you explore the artwork and read the artists' statements, we hope you will stop to see the world anew through the eyes of these bright, young artists.
The teachers who participated in Visions in 2009-10 are Judy Mariahazy, Central High School, and Dyan Cavalli, Coronado High School (photography); Stacy Marko, McClintock High School, and Cira Riccio, Coronado High School (painting); and Chad Knapp, Coronado High School, and Jasen Evoy, Marcos de Niza High School (sculpture).
The artists who worked with Visions 2009-2010 students are James Angel, Roger Asay, Joan Baron, Brian Boner, Nick Cave, Anne Coe, Angela Franks-Wells, Cindy Iverson, Annie Lopez, Michael Lundgren, Monica Martinez, Craig Randich, Holly Roberts, Randy Slack, and William Wegman.
above: 2009-2010 Visions students at artist Randy Slack’s Phoenix studio.
Visions is organized by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Sponsored by Scottsdale Insurance/Nationwide Foundation and Naomi Caras Miller and Alvin Miller.
Photographs of the 2009-2010 Visions students and their work can be found by clicking on the links below.
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