Located at 223 State Street alongside Artisan Gallery, Art Path Gallery, and Broome County Arts Council offices, Artful Child Gallery is not only a showcase of the art works of young artists (age 4-16) in our community, but also a space offering arts programs for children.
The Artful Child Gallery Featuring Young Artists, ages 4-16 And The Student Curator program
Every two months at BCAC’s Artisan Gallery we feature the works of a new young artist in the Artful Child Gallery. In 2024, we hosted Ryan and Ran Selem, Juliette VarnoWatts, Eric Putman, Larry Morgan, the youth program from NoMa, Alex Zur and now Maxwell Zietsman. Whether painters, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, etc., all of these young artists are so talented and creative.
In August 2024, we began a new program funded by the Binghamton Arts & Athletics Foundation. This Student Curator program places a high school student with the current youth artist. Together they work with gallery personnel to provide an interesting and dynamic exhibition. Following completion of their assigned exhibition, the Student Curators are awarded a $500 scholarship funded by the Binghamton Arts & Athletics Community Fund and Broome County Arts Council.
Jasper Barrera-Burns, a Binghamton High School student, was our first student curator and worked with Alex Zur, a photographer from Vestal High School. Jasper created posters and social media posts, cataloged Alex’s work and created a catalog for the exhibition. In addition Jasper prepared the gallery walls by repairing and painting and creating signage for the show. Jasper also helped set up First Friday and Artist receptions for Alex and acted as docent for Alex’s show during those receptions. We thank Jasper for their exceptional interest and dedication to Alex’s work.
We’re now welcoming Binghamton High School student Hannah Jang as our next Student Curator. She is working with Maxwell Zietsman, an illustrator who goes to Vestal Hills Elementary School. He is a prolific artist who shows tremendous creativity and (believe it or not) has some great technical knowledge and skills that are reflected in his drawings. Hannah is currently scanning and cataloging Max’s work and will be framing many pieces in preparation for hanging the show. She will also create all social media, posters and ads for the exhibition and will act as docent for his show.
Welcome Hannah!!
In the Gallery
Scrap Paper by Maxwell Zietsman
November / December 2024
Artist Reception: Saturday, December 14 from 1-2PM
Student Curator: Hannah Jang
Maxwell Fredrick Zietsman was born on Long Island and moved to Vestal, NY when he was less than a year old. His favorite color is red, and he enjoys baseball and reading when he is not making art. His inspiration comes mostly from books (Dinotopia), and TV shows (such as Star Wars and Camp Cretaceous), but when he stumbles upon something that piques his interest, he must express his feelings for the subject in art. Max lives with his mom, dad, and three-year-old brother Julian (who seems determined to destroy Max’s art as quickly as he can). Max is in second grade at Vestal Hills Elementary School, and his favorite food is pizza. Some artists and illustrators that Max is inspired by include Axel Scheffler, Graeme Base, James Gurney, Bill Peet, Mike Holmes, and Quinton Blake.
Artist Statement
“Scrap Paper” is Max’s first exhibition. Max expresses his emotions, likes, and dislikes in his drawings, and he is certainly not limited to only one subject –though he exclusively draws with black pen and paper. One of his most common styles is to draw highly detailed vehicles, robots, and other futuristic concepts, though he often includes some ancient/prehistoric elements. On most days, Max draws for several hours – so he quickly transitioned to using scrap paper and making use of all empty space on his bigger papers so as not to waste the trees. He believes that imperfections, mistakes, and previously-used papers actually make his art better. Max hopes you will feel awestruck by the complexity of his drawings, and that it will inspire people to make their own creative pieces of art using recycled or forgotten papers.
Nature Photography by Alex Zur
September 2024
Artist Reception: October 12
Student Curator: Jasper Barrera-Burns
Alex Zur is a 16 year old photographer from Vestal, NY. Alex is a nature lover and has been interested in birds and wildlife since he was very young. As he’s gotten older, he has become highly interested in birdwatching which has led to an interest in bird photography. With the addition of a telephoto lens, he has been able to take close-up photos of birds and wildlife which he enjoys sharing with family and friends. One of his favorite types of birds are Warblers, which you will see represented in his gallery. He is also very knowledgeable with bird songs and calls, and can identify many birds by their sounds. In addition to the birds seen here, Alex found a fox den while birding and was able to capture pictures of the kits. When Alex is not actively birding or photographing wildlife, he enjoys spending time with family, golfing, and skiing. He hopes you enjoy his photos.
Artist Statement: The photos in this gallery represent birds I have seen and photographed this Spring and Summer. The photographs that are shown here were taken across states in the Eastern US, including NY, PA, and MA. While my focus is typically on birds, I encountered a fox den local to me that had kits in it. Keeping my distance, I was able to photograph them as they explored their new world. I hope you enjoy these photos.
In the Gallery
NoMa’s Aspiring Artists Workshop
July 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, July 5 from 6-9PM
NoMa’s Aspiring Artists (Ages 8-12): This Pilot Program was funded by the Broome County Youth Bureau and launched in April 2024. The Aspiring Artist Workshop ran for 6 weeks focusing on a different aspect of creative expression each week. Our young Aspiring Artists were given 2 hours each Saturday (April 27th-June 1st, 2024) to develop their craft with parent participation, local artist and NoMa Community Center Coordinator, Brandy Brown and Assistant Coordinator Micah Genung. Our Aspiring Artists were and are encouraged to explore various career pathways in their chosen art form.
About Noma: The NoMa Community Center is a special place. Each week, we offer free programs to our community that range from our weekly NoMa Clothing Closet where we provide free clothing and personal care items for all, to after school activities with teachers, resume building workshops, and community meals.
Young artists: Be a part of the vibrant and supportive art community in Binghamton!
The Artful Child Gallery at Broome County Arts Council hosts exhibitions featuring the artwork of young artists (age 4-16) from our community. This is a fantastic opportunity to have your work displayed in a professional gallery setting, share your creativity with the public, and inspire others with your unique perspective. We are currently accepting submissions for an exhibiting artist who works in any 2 dimensional art form (drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, etc) and has a collection of 10-20 completed artworks ready to exhibit during July and August 2024.
To submit: Take clear photos of your artwork and send samples of 5 artworks along with a brief artist statement (including name, age and a description of your artwork). Email submissions to cbarnes@broomearts.org with the subject line “Artful Child Exhibition Submission”. Applications due by June 10, 2024. We can’t wait to see your amazing creations!
Unleash your creativity and join us in celebrating the next generation of artists!
Additional Children’s Programming:
Young artist Juliette Anne Varnowatts and her Pursuit workshop Experimental Fun with Paint and Learning to Draw with Juliette
The Artful Child Gallery and its programming are made possible in part by a $50,000 Assembly grant secured by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo.
