P.S. Art is an annual celebration of achievement in the arts in New York City public schools. This year marks the twenty-first anniversary of the exhibition and the sixteenth year it has been hosted at The Met. This juried exhibition of 122 works of art by talented young artists showcases the creativity of prekindergarten through grade 12 students from all five boroughs, including students from District 75, a citywide district serving students with disabilities. The exhibition consists of collages, drawings, mixed-media works, paintings, photographs, prints, and sculpture. Each work of art demonstrates personal expression, imaginative use of media, the results of close observation, and an understanding of artistic processes.
Dedicated art teachers support students’ creativity and help them look closely in order to respond to their worlds through art making. As students take art classes from one year to the next, they increase their understanding of art, sharpen their skills, and learn to harness their imaginations for artistic expression. This exhibition celebrates the students’ journeys and discoveries from early childhood to young adulthood. Moreover, the statements accompanying the student artwork are evidence of the reflective nature of artmaking.
A panel of arts specialists from the New York City Public Schools and Studio in a School NYC selected 368 semifinalists from over twelve hundred submissions. This is an increase of over four hundred entries more than those received the previous year, another indication that New York City is moving past the pandemic. A jury of distinguished members of the New York City arts community, including staff of The Met, selected the works on view.
The New York City Public Schools would like to thank The Metropolitan Museum of Art for generously mounting, hosting, and helping to select works for this exhibition in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education. The New York City Public Schools also gratefully acknowledge Studio in a School NYC for its sponsorship and substantial role in the coordination of P.S. Art 2023.
