Socrateens
SOCRATEENS
ABOUT | TESTIMONALS | ABOUT DOUG
Socrateens is a year-long experimental art-making program for eight teens selected from various NYC high schools. Meeting weekly at the Park, the Socrateens work closely together to develop sculpture-making, drawing, performance, and photo/video skills. The program also includes visits to artist studios, museums, and galleries.
The Fall 2021 – Summer 2022 Socrateens includes 9th and 10th grade students who met on Tuesdays, and 11th and 12th grade students on Wednesdays to explore art making in new ways. Each Socrateen receives a monthly artist’s stipend of $100.
TO APPLY
Contact Doug Paulson, Director of Education at dp@socratessculpturepark.org for an application form. The deadline for the 2022-2023 Program is October 5, 2022.
ABOUT
The 2021-2022 Socrateens curated the Broadway Billboard after conducting studio visits with a line-up of recent Socrates artist alumni. After studio visits with each artist and reviewing proposals, teens selected the work by Joiri Minaya from her series From The Marooned Picturesque Series (Socrates). This collaboration provided a unique opportunity for teens and future art workers to participate in the curatorial and exhibition process, and deepens our relationship with artists dedicated to the Park. The Socrateens wrote and recorded the interpretive artwork label and audio guide. Additionally, the teens created an exhibition of sculpture for the group exhibition ‘echoes from the future.’
The 2019-2020 Socrateens contributed to the ‘MONUMENTS NOW‘ exhibition at Socrates with a multifaceted project that included a zine titled ‘Monuments Decoder‘ and a collectively-realized sculpture installation, ‘What’s Missing.’ They also created an exhibition of their own artwork for the Park’s Instagram account, @socratespark – check it out!
SOCRATEEN’S TESTIMONIALS
“Socrateens has completely changed my mindset on art. I am the youngest in the program and I haven’t had a lot of experience with outside art, this program gave me a lot of insight on the process of art. Being part of art isn’t just making it, all the people we met showed me you can do a lot more and even making a living out of it.” – Farzana
“It was my first job and one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had in regards to being able to do what I love: art.” – Anabella
“One of the most valuable parts of this year was us using out-of-the-ordinary equipment. I found this very strange but it was a fun experience that I never had before.” – Sohit
“I find really special about Socrateens is the small community we are in. I loved how the staff engaged with us, talked to us, and actually respected our ideas as young artists.” – Laura
“When you put different artists, whether that be of animators, comic creators, drawers, painters, sculptors and even dancers, storytellers and poets in the same group, conversations are indeed possible and even more interesting.” – Michela
“I never thought the arts was something that made a change or impact in the world because of my family’s view of the art world. But I have learned that artist are the people that challenge ideals. An example is seeing all the Monuments Now artist pieces and seeing them challenge unjust systems and ideals.” – Chris
ABOUT THE EDUCATOR
Douglas Paulson is a Queens-based artist and educator who has done collaborative and participatory artworks in institutions and streets of Denmark, Germany, South Korea, Iceland, New York City, and other places near and far. He loves drawing, sewing, gardening, and hot gluing things. You can reach him at dp@socratessculpturepark.org.
Support
Free education programs at Socrates Sculpture Park are made possible with generous support from Con Edison, Elmezzi Foundation, and Stavros Niarchos Foundation with additional support provided, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.