Young Arts Finalist: Aaron Smithson + Merit Winners: Mary Safy & Eungyoung Lee

Three students from Oogie Art were recognized for their artwork in the National Young Arts competition.

Aaron Smithson was chosen as a finalist as one of 12 out of 12,000 students in the USA and invited for a workshop and exhibition at the museum in Miami. He was also awarded a $10,000 Presidential Scholarship. His architectural portfolio displayed organic pieces inspired by the sea and incorporated a wide use of mixed media. Aaron's portfolio is also featured on YoungArts.

The Young Arts competition is highly competitive, and we feel honored to have our students recognized for their artistic achievements. Congratulations Aaron Smithson (Trinity School, Oogie Art), Mary Safy (Stuyvesant Highschool, Oogie Art) & Eunyoung Lee (Lexington Highschool, Oogie Art)!!

Charity Fundraising Show

Oogie Art Gallery hosted a Charity Fundraising Show for the Scholarship at the Talent School in Uganda. Featuring Mark Chearavanont’s black and white photography, many pieces were sold and the funds will go towards raising money for the Kasangula Talent School in Uganda. Mark is an Oogie alumni, and he was accepted from Harvard University. 

Dates:

September 6 ~ 19, 2015

Admissions Visit: Central Saint Martins

Admissions officers from Central Saint Martins located in London, England visited Oogie students for a presentation on the admissions process and the various programs being updated at their school. Each year, several Oogie students apply to Central Saint Martins (part of the University to the Arts London) for their renown fashion major. Amongst their alumni includes Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, and each year a few Oogie students are admitted despite the heavy competition.

Date: 

August 1, 2015

Animator Talk: Christy Karacas

Christy Karacas visited Oogie Art to to share his invaluable insights and experiences in the animation and film industry with our students. After the engaging talk, the students had the opportunity to tour Titmouse Studio, where Karacas works as a director. This unique experience provided students with a fascinating firsthand look into the inner workings of a professional animation studio.

Christy Karacas is an American musician, animator, voice actor, director, and writer, best known for creating Superjail! (2007) and Ballmastrz 9009 (2018) for Adult Swim, as well as directing the Cartoon Network series Robotomy. He is a founding member and guitarist for the band Cheeseburger. Karacas studied Film, Animation, and Video (FAV) at the Rhode Island School of Design.

The Well Project for Kasangula School, Uganda

Students from Oogie Art visited the Kasangula Talent School and Mityana Village in Uganda as part of the Uganda Leadership Program. Students conducted art classes and installed a well for clean water in the community. The project is the first step in a series of changes that will take place in the community, including an installment of electricity at the school. It was a great opportunity for Oogie students to connect with the students, creating artwork together and bringing about positive change. 

Designer Talk Event: Caryl Glaab - Director at Blue Man Group

Caryl Glaab is the creative director of the Blue Man Group, a trio of bald blue men that perform absurd theatrical acts like banging on PVC pipes all choreographed to drumming beats and no dialogue. Glaab talked about the importance of being present during the design process and gave Oogie students an extensive presentation on creating the look and feel of Blue Man Group. Designer talks like these help students gain advice and insight into the design industries from professionals.  

Date: 

July 11, 2015   1 PM

Smart Sketchbook Series

Director Wook Choi self-published a series of nine books called “Smart Sketchbook Series” which include fast guidelines on different art techniques for drawing and painting. Each book provides a sample drawing or painting and includes a blank page for students to directly practice onto. Some techniques include drawing a still life of different objects, how to draw the human figure, self-portraits, etc. using mediums like charcoal, pastel or acrylic. You can buy your copy directly from Oogie Art, or purchase them online at Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com

Student Spotlight: Alexander Khomyakov

Congratulations to our very own Oogie Art alumni Alex Khomyakov for becoming a design assistant at Apple Inc. Alex graduated from RISD studying graphic design and interned twice at a Swiss design company called Department. His hobbies include surfing and learning new languages. You can read more on his experience at RISD, Apple, and his advice to students in the new publication of Art College Admissions II.

Scholastic Art National Award Ceremony 2015

The Scholastic Art National Award Ceremony took place at Carnegie Hall in NYC. 12 National winners attended from Oogie Art. Oogie art beats its own record for the Scholastic Art & Writing awards each year. 

Oogie Art Research Program Landscape Explorers

Diane Kim published “Landscape Explorers” working with the Oogie Art Research Team. Landscape Explorers is an exploration of landscape artwork from all around the world, starting from the 17th century to contemporary work. Kim was accepted from Columbia University.