Marta Valle Middle School Arts Project:

On February, 2000 Artists Alliance / Alianza de Artistas, Inc. initiated an arts program at the Marta Valle Middle School located at 145 Stanton Street on the Lower East Side.

It is primarily financed through a $13, 000 grant from New York City's Project Arts initiative, a program to restore arts education within the public school curriculum. The program is also funded through generous support from Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro, and from Banco Popular.

The inclusion of a comprehensive arts program at Marta Valle is giving students the opportunity to explore their own creativity while developing their artistic skills.

Under the guidance of professional visual artists, various classes are exploring a diversity of art making processes ranging from puppetmaking to mural art. The classes focus on providing students with basic skills necessary to render visual concepts. By focusing on the art making process and on a variety of different materials rather than on the end product, students can experience a sense of empowerment, regardless of their artistic talent.

In addition to encouraging the students' artistic development, Artists Alliance / Alianza de Artistas's Marta Valle Middle School Art Project includes the school's teachers in the program, so that they can learn about art materials and how art activities can enhance the regular curriculum.

The program serves approximately 160 of Marta Valle's 8th graders, divided among 6 class environments including regular education, special education and ESL classes.

Art classes run for 14 weeks from February to May, 2000. An extended class period of one and a half contact hours allows students to immerse themselves in their work during each session.

Each class combines the professional skills of two visual artists who have introduced the students to a hands-on project. At the end of the 14 sessions, students participate in a celebratory exhibition of their work at the school and various Lower East Side venues, such as the local branch of Banco Popular.

Mahfuza Ahkter creating work on site for her Word Art panel.

Implementation of the comprehensive arts program at Marta Valle: giving these kids a chance to shine.

Eight-grader Yan-Mei working on a grid for her Word Art sketch at Marta Valle.

Wagnell Merian starting his panel for the Word Art Mural at Marta Valle.

Some of the eight-graders explored the process of puppet making.