Autumn is the best season to spend time in New York City, especially as a young, aspiring artist. On Thursday, October 13, eleven Storm King students in Mr. Carruthers’ Advanced Studio Art class were invited to visit the Harlem studio of a well-known, international artist and tour one of Chelsea’s most influential contemporary art galleries. Their visit was made possible by alumnus Richard Grossman ’79, a real estate executive, collector, and art enthusiast living in Manhattan.

During a recent visit to Storm King, Mr. Grossman was inspired by the students and the art he saw on display in the School’s Vladimir Art Center, as well as the School’s outstanding record in placing students in prestigious art colleges and universities each year including Pratt, Parsons, RISD, Cal Arts, School of Visual Arts, and others.

Students who participated: Kaitlin B. ’23, Laura H. ’23, Aitana G. ’24, Sandy C. ’23, Charlotte J. ’23, Seven C. ’25, Dana X. ’23, Linda L. ’23, Jack G. ’23, Fernando M. ’23, and Ben Z. ’23

Accompanied by Mr. Carruthers, the students traveled first to Harlem to meet Mr. Grossman at the working studio of artist Ghada Amer. They spent the morning touring her studio, viewing her art, and learning about Ms. Amer’s journey as a professional artist. Born in Cairo, Egypt, and educated in France and the USA, Ms. Amer told the students that her art “celebrates her cultural heritage with a feminist perspective and uses sewing and embroidery–traditional skills learned from her mother and grandmother.” Now living and working in New York and Paris, her work has been exhibited at biennales in Venice, Sydney, and New York City, as well as the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, among others. The students were interested in Amer’s techniques, how she worked with the massive canvases, and how she got her first breaks in the art world.

After a short trip downtown and a delicious Italian lunch, the group was treated to a private tour at the Lisson Gallery– one of the most influential and longest-running contemporary art galleries in the world that supports and promotes the work of more than 60 international artists. They were met by the gallery’s senior sales director, Mr. Adam Sheffer, who brought a wealth of information about the sale of art to the class.

During the visit, the students toured two major Lisson Gallery exhibitions. The first was the work of Jason Martin, a British artist whose paintings use a small selection of colors in similar tones, a few brushes or tools, and a number of square aluminum panels; swirling and dragging thick layers of paint over the aluminum base.

The second was of artist Masaomi Yasunaga’s work which blends traditional Japanese ceramic techniques with the freeform theories behind Sōdeisha, the ‘Crawling Through Mud Association.’ Yasunga’s primary material is glaze, which is buried in sand or kaolin before firing. The students were curious about how the artists got to that level of renown, how the gallery system works, and the prices of the art.

To conclude an afternoon filled with information and inspiration, the students walked back to the subway to Grand Central Terminal via the scenic High Line’s elevated, restored railway bed. Back on campus, they sent thank you notes to Ms. Amer, Mr. Sheffer, and Mr. Grossman for a special and individualized glimpse into the international art world.