American Pop Artist Jeff Koons, alongside Agnes Gund and Dorothy Lichtenstein, visited 2nd grade students participating in Studio in a School’s Long Term Program at P.S. 145, The Bloomingdale School, in the Upper West Side of Manhattan on June 15th.

A long-time supporter of the NYC-based non-profit Studio in a School, Jeff Koons showed the students a presentation of images highlighting a wide range of artworks spanning his entire career. Students engaged in discussions with Koons about what inspired him and how he created these pieces of art. One piece in particular that excited the students was an image of a sculpture Jeff created when he was their age, 9 years old. He then shared an image of a sculpture he created as an adult that was inspired by that childhood work.

Prior to his visit, the students of P.S. 145 created portraits based on Jeff Koons artworks they had studied with their Studio in a School Artist Instructor, Suzanne Stroebe. The students showed Koons their portraits, explained the inspiration behind them and why they made their artistic choices. 

Studio in a School is an arts education organization dedicated to fostering the creative and intellectual development of young people through two divisions, the New York City Schools Program and the Studio Institute. Over the past 40 years, Studio in a School has served nearly one million New York City students through visual arts programs that have been developed and conducted by Studio’s professional Artist Instructors. Studio works with young people in public schools and community organizations, and builds partnerships with principals and classroom teachers. Each year, the New York City Schools Program reaches over 30,000 students at nearly 200 program sites.

The Studio Institute engages in research, professional development, and the dissemination of Studio’s approach nationwide. The Studio Institute also provides apprenticeships, internships, and skills-based programs for teens and college students.