P.S. Art 2021:
Celebrating the Creative Spirit of New York City Kids

P.S. Art is an annual celebration of achievement in the arts in New York City public schools. This juried exhibition of work by talented young artists showcases the creativity of 152 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 paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media works, collages, and drawings. 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 work on view and accompanying student statements are a testament to the creativity and resilience of teachers and students working in remote, onsite, and hybrid environments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A panel of arts specialists from the Department of Education and Studio in a School selected 289 semifinalists from almost eight hundred submissions. A jury of distinguished members of the New York City arts community, including staff of The Met, met virtually to choose the works on display in P.S. Art 2021.

Interspersed among the actual works on view are a number of labels with reproductions of works—a poignant reminder of the challenges faced in the creation of this year's exhibition due to the global pandemic. We will place the missing works on view as we receive them.

The New York City Department of Education 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 Department of Education also gratefully acknowledges Studio in a School NYC for its sponsorship and substantial role in the coordination of P.S. Art 2021.