Artist-in-residence programs exist to invite artists, academicians, curators, to reside within the premises of an institution. I was selected as the first artist-in-residence by DreamYard to join the institution efforts to involve digital media in the teachers’ practices. During one academic year, I supported digital media integration in several workshops and internal events, inspiring the community to use multiplatform storytelling, a technique of telling a story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies. DreamYard lives and thrives in the Bronx. Though it has been in a constant state of transition and development for the last few decades, the Bronx continues to evolve as a wellspring of cultural diversity, creativity, and resilient communities. The demographics of the participants span the globe and as such, DreamYard programs reflect the necessity for empowering those who join the Art Center to celebrate their culture and where they’re from while creating instances of community.
The DreamYard Art Center is located in the economically poorest Congressional district in the country. Here, in New York’s Community District 3, 63% of children are born into poverty, fewer than half of school-age children meet City and State learning standards, and less than 10% of adults have a college degree. With 42% of residents living in this area under the age of 18, residents and community advocates have identified after-school and arts programming as priorities for ensuring positive community development.
I joined the fall semester as Tech Mentor for The Bronx Design League, facilitating and guiding the group introductory workshop to learn design thinking methodologies. Design Thinking is a design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It’s extremely useful in tackling complex problems that are ill-defined or unknown, by understanding the human needs involved, by re-framing the problem in human-centric ways, by creating many ideas in brainstorming sessions, and by adopting a hands-on approach in prototyping and testing.
DreamYard collaborates with Bronx youth, families and schools to build pathways to equity and opportunity through the arts. DreamYard programs develop the artistic voice, nurture young peoples’ desire to make a change and cultivate the skills necessary to reach positive goals. We believe that young people in the Bronx need a continuous set of supports to help them toward positive outcomes as they navigate their educational pathway. We have every expectation that through offering sustained and meaningful supports our youth will develop the necessary tools to become creative and engaged citizens, life-long learners and the leaders and innovators of the 21st century.
