We are excited to welcome new families and returning families to the Art Studio. We are the co-representatives on the PA representing the Art Studio for the 2024-2025 school year.

The Art Studio, as a part of the LaGuardia High School Parent Association, is a volunteer led committee focused on events, programming and issues related to the Art Studio. We work with the Art Studio Assistant Principal Heather O’Connell to support all initiatives that benefit the students enrolled in the LaGuardia High School Fine Arts Program.
We would love for you to join us in the Art Studio! We need help with communications, volunteers for Art Studio events, and Donations to the Art Studio PA.

All of your donations go directly to the Art Studio and support our students. Some areas we support include visiting artists, art supplies including new computers and software to support digital art and animation, field trips etc.

If you have something to contribute or a suggestion please email us at art@laguardiahspa.org. All Art Studio parents are welcome and encouraged to join.

We look forward to working with you this year!

Caroline Andoscia and Kristin Leigh

Our first Fine Arts Studio meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 8th at 7:00pm. Please mark your calendars and join us. We are excited to welcome new and returning parents. This will be a Zoom meeting. Our amazing AP of Fine Art, Heather O'Connell will welcome you all, and discuss her plans for the Fine Art Studio this is year. Other agenda items include the Art Studio budget, fundraising plans, and other studio business. If you have something you would like to add to the agenda, please email us at art@laguardiahspa.org  We welcome and encourage all suggestions.

Meeting link

September 2024

Dear Fine Art Studio Artists and Families,

It is with great excitement that I extend a heartfelt welcome to our new Fine Art Studio members and a warm welcome back to all of our returning artists! Our studio is home to a wonderfully diverse group of passionate, talented, and kind individuals, and I am truly honored to be part of this vibrant community. 

We have an exciting year ahead, filled with a range of creative opportunities and special events. We’ll kick things off with our Faculty and Staff Art Show, opening on October 15th, followed by the highly anticipated Student Curated Art Show on November 15th. As we move into December, we’ll host our Winter Semi-Annual Art Show, and later in the year, you can look forward to the Senior Show Series, the Spring Semi-Annual Art Show, and our Senior Showcase in Brooklyn, in partnership with the ELM Foundation. In addition, we’re continuing two wonderful traditions: the Art Studio Internship and the Art Studio Newsletter, offering our students valuable opportunities to contribute to the studio’s leadership. Our Fine Art Parent Association will also carry on the Visiting Artist series, providing students with the chance to learn from professionals in the art world.

Please take a moment to review and bookmark the information following this letter for a detailed look at the year’s schedule and opportunities.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to our dedicated teachers, who have worked tirelessly to prepare for a successful year ahead. We are truly fortunate to have such an exceptional team guiding and inspiring our students.

Wishing you all a creative and fulfilling year ahead, and I look forward to seeing you in class and at our upcoming Art Shows!

Sincerely,

Heather O'Connell (Polacik)

Assistant Principal of Fine Arts

HPolacik@schools.nyc.gov

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So, what will this year look like in the Fine Art Studio? 

Art Courses

All first- and second-year students have been programmed for foundation-level courses and

All third and fourth-year students have been programmed for advanced-level courses; all students received their first or second choice class. All Seniors have been programmed for Art History, where they will engage in final preparations for the NYCDOE Visual Arts Commencement exam in January. For those new to our community, please review the Fine Arts Studio Course Offerings to learn more about our classes.  

Art Shows

Art Shows are among the most exciting parts of being a Fine Art Studio major! Please mark your calendar and make it to as many Art Show Openings as possible. Our Art Show Openings are on Fridays and members of the community are welcome to attend from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Digital Posters for each show created by our incredible Digital Media Students will be released about a month prior to each show and will detail date and time information, you can also find this information on our school calendar. Submission details for the Student Curated Art Show will be available in October, and Senior Show Applications will be available in December.   

• Oct18: Faculty and Staff Art Show

• Nov 15: Student Curated Art Show (open to all students, application based)

• Dec 13: Winter Semi-Annual Art Show (open to all students, teacher selections)

• Feb 07: Senior Show 1 (open to all Seniors, application based)

• Mar 07: Senior Show 2 (open to all Seniors, application based)

• April 04: Senior Show 3 (open to all Seniors, application based)

• May 31: Spring Semi-Annual Art Show (open to all students, teacher selections)

• June TBD: ELM x LaG Senior Showcase: Offsite, Brooklyn NY (application based, open to Seniors)

Art Supplies: Donate here!

All students have access to the supplies they will need for class in our classrooms with the help of our incredible Fine Arts Parent Association. This school year, we will continue vital fundraising efforts to close funding gaps.  Our Fine Art Studio Parent Association is our biggest supporter, helping us to make this possible. If you are in a position to donate, we thank you! We are so lucky to have a wonderful and supportive community that helps to ensure that all kids in our program have access to the art supplies they need! 

If you would like to donate directly to your child’s art classroom, please do not hesitate to contact their teacher! We are always looking for basic supplies like soap, tissues, paper-towels and other essential items in addition to basic art supplies. 

Open Studio

Our Open Studios are spaces where Fine Art majors can continue work on a class project or engage in personal artwork. Open Studio is staffed with one of our Fine Arts teachers who can provide extra help to students in need. Open Studios are an excellent place for our Juniors and Seniors who may want more studio time to work on their college portfolios. While each Open Studio takes place in a specialized art studio space, you can go to any Open Studio room to engage in your work. If you are going to a room different from the space you have art class in, be sure to bring your supplies from class. Open Studio is available during all lunch periods.  

4th period  - ROOM 801 Ms. Mulvihill

5th period - ROOM 747 Ms. Riley

6th period - ROOM 859 Ms. Curiale

7th period -  ROOM 727 Mr. Domench

College Portfolio Support: Open Studios

All Juniors and Seniors are encouraged to attend Open Studio to receive support with their Portfolio. Every Open Studio teacher is available to review your Portfolio and guide you through the art college application process.  As a reminder, our students begin preparing for college portfolios in their first year of our art classes! It is important that all students save digital photographs of each work they create in class, so that they have a comprehensive portfolio to pull from for college applications.   Make sure to share your college application plans with your double-period art teacher, who is there to help and support you.     

*Check out our College Portfolio & College Application Support presentation, here (slides) and here (video), it’s never too soon to start planning! 

Fine Art Studio Communication: News N Notes

Each month, you will receive our student-led department newsletter, News N Notes, in your email associated with your student/parent account. This newsletter will contain information about our studio and excellent outside opportunities available to students. This is our main form of communication in the Fine Arts Studio and I thank the incredible team of students who work so hard each month to make it happen.  News N Notes will be emailed to the studio and posted on the Fine Arts page of the LaGuardiahs.org website. 

Art Studio Internship: Getting involved

Open to Fine Art Studio majors in all grades. The Art Studio Internship is a beautiful opportunity to get involved in Fine Art Studio activities. Please keep an eye out for the September News N Notes which will have a link to the application.

Commencement Exam: Seniors

All Seniors will participate in the Arts Commencement Exam in January. This city-wide exam typically consists of an art portfolio and a written exam. Fine Art Studio majors begin preparing for this exam in their year-one art classes, helping us to achieve a high success rate. Specific preparations for this exam will take place in your Art History class. If you have questions about the Commencement Exam, please get in touch with your Fine Art teacher, who will help you.

Art Studio Parent Association

Our partnership with the Art Studio Parent Association is critical to our success.  You can find their website, here, which includes ways to volunteer and donate.   Please also be sure you are signed up to receive information from the PA! 

Studio Sponsorship: 

If you are in a position to sponsor one of our wonderful studios, or have connections to companies who might be interested, please see our Sponsorship Opportunities, here.  To learn more, please contact our Art Studio Parent Representatives, art@laguardiahspa.org 

Staying Informed

Who should I contact if I have a question about my art classes?

• Double Period Fine Art Teacher

Your double-period Fine Art teacher is there to help guide you through everything related to the Fine Art Studio. They will help direct you to the right people if they do not have the answer to your question.

• Guidance Counselor 

We have wonderful guidance counselors who are here to help you. Mr. Pappas and Ms. Wang, in room 321, our dedicated Fine Arts Guidance Suite. 

• AP Art, Heather O’Connell Polacik

Please do not hesitate to contact me, room 761 & HPolacik@schools.nyc.gov.  

How do I stay informed about everything happening in the Fine Art Studio? 

1. Weekly Bulletin: Yellow Sheet

The school’s Yellow Sheet will highlight important school information including Fing Arts news and will be emailed to students and families every Friday

2. Fine Art Studio Page- LaGuardia Websitehttps://www.laguardiahs.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=582115&type=d

*new* The Fine Arts page will be updated frequently to include messaging and pertinent studio information.  All studio-wide emails sent will be linked on this page since we know your inboxes can get flooded.  Our new website is much easier to navigate. The Fine Arts page is still a work in progress and not very pretty yet but it will be our main hub for information sharing.  

3. Art Studio News N Notes’

This is our Student-led monthly newsletter celebrating Fine Art Studio happenings.  This is where you will find Art Show information, Art Show reviews, class spotlights, important updates, outside opportunities and much more!  You will receive News N Notes via email and it will be posted on the Fine Arts page of the Laguardiahs.org website

4. Art Studio Parent Association Newsletter

Our wonderful Art PA sends out a newsletter via email to help keep everyone informed. sign up here

 5. Art Studio Instagram: @lagartdepartment

Follow us! Our Instagram page is run by our Student Art Rep, Connie in collaboration with student leaders in our program.  

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Hello parents!  My daughter Leah is a freshman in the LaG fine arts track + we live in Jackson Heights, Queens.   I was co-class parent during most of my daughter's k-8 time at Ella Baker, the NYC public school she attended.  I have graduate degrees in both social work and early childhood special education and have been Director of private preschools in Manhattan for the past 14 years.  In that role, I have some experience with budgets, parent associations, and fundraising.  I look forward to supporting the fine arts program, strengthening the parent/school connection at LaG, and getting up to speed on the treasurer's tasks.

Pamela Stark

Please consider volunteering to support the Fine Art Studio. Use your talents to support our talented student artists. If you are good with graphics, please consider helping us with the newsletter, if you have an eye for fashion, please consider helping us design our art studio merch. If you have something else, you’d like to contribute or see done let us know.

 
And please consider donating to the Fine Art Studio. You donation will directly support the Fine Arts Studio. 

Volunteer

Donate to the Art Studio

Sign up for the Art Studio Newsletters