AVPA students visit the studio of MOCA’s Intensive Artist-Led Residency, Carolyn Castano.

AVPA visual art students from The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, in association with The Museum of Contemporary Art’s Education Department and artist-in-residency, Carolyn Castaño present Enzymatic, a collection of student artwork that will be exhibited from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 19 at Walter Maciel Gallery in Los Angeles.

The collection of student artwork was inspired in part by the recent Pacific Standard Time mass art concept (Southern California-wide display of politically relevant art created during the period of 1945–1980), including MOCA’s own contribution, Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981. Art students chose the title Enzymatic for the show, hoping to convey with immediacy the collective themes of student artwork of policy and politics, including issues important to students such as the rising cost of public education, controversy over immigration, and concentrated opinions over this years presidential election. Enzymatic is deeply influenced by the reaction-driven style of art making that Castaño and Madison Brookshire, MOCA Educator, introduced them to during the 10-week program.

"Since 1997, Sony Pictures has been a proud sponsor of MOCA's education initiatives, Contemporary Art Start (CAS) and currently the Intensive Artist-Led Residency," said Janice Pober, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Sony Pictures Entertainment.  "These in-depth programs are a testament to how much Culver City supports the future of the arts."

Throughout the intensive MOCA program, 30 art students have been learning about political art concepts, from the perspective of a working visual artist (Castaño), as well as MOCA museum educator and artist (Brookshire). Students were given the opportunity to visit MOCA multiple times while compiling their own collection of work, as well as tour first-hand Castaño’s studio, and ask her questions about the process of creating and exhibiting work.

“It was so awesome to see the space where an artist actually creates their art, because so often we just see the finished product, but there is so much more that goes into it,” reflected Max Malsich after visiting Castaño’s studio. The students have been meeting every Tuesday and Friday for after school sessions to learn about relevant artists, view their work, engage in discussion forum about the impact of such work, and its purpose, and to create their own pieces and engage in class critiques.

Part of what makes this exhibition, Enzymatic, so unique, is that AVPA art students have created work in multiple mediums, and through the unique perspective of young artists. Among the works that will be exhibited are graphic-style political posters, self-portraits on canvas, collages, photography, and documentation of performance art. “We’ve worked very hard to create an exciting and relevant body of work for the exhibit, and I think that it will be a very fun show to experience,” said participating artist, Mohammad Chowdhury. After much hard work, students will be exhibiting their collection of socio-politically generated art at Walter Maciel Gallery located at 2642 South La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles 90034. The opening reception is free and open to the public. The AVPA art students would like to give a special "thank you" to Sony Pictures Entertainment and The Museum of Contemporary Art for making the program possible. 

AVPA students create their artwork for exhibition with MOCA