The Arts Academy Preschool

is back in session for students, while some of our babies will be attending for the very first time. It’s important that we prepare our and their parents for this special day!

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Wishing all a blessed Ramadan!

In observation of National Deaf History Month (March 13th- April 15th), we are celebrating deaf/hard of hearing artists and De’VIA. De’VIA, abbreviated from Deaf View/Image Art is art that takes on the perspective and tells the story of deaf experiences from a “cultural, linguistic and intersectional point of view”. As described by the Museum of Deaf, the 4 elements of De’VIA is outlined above in the last slide. De’VIA movement was first established in 1989 by 9 artists, Betty G. Miller, Chuck Baird, Guy Wonder, Susan Dupor, Harry Williams, Tony MacGregor, and Ann Silver. 2 of the co-founders, Ann Silver and Chuck Baird are featured above.

Chuck Baird’s career stretched over 35 years and comprised of renown artistry including sculpting, painting, acting and storytelling. He also spent much of his time working to bring deaf art culture into deaf schools and camps.

Rosalyn Watson is a Black deaf artist of today who uses various art modes including oil painting, acrylics, watercolor, illustration ink pens and black & white pencils. Her work tells the lives of her family and people from generations’ past, present and future.

Ann Silver is known as one of the leaders in seeking inclusion and social justice for the Deaf artist community and Deaf art to be apart of art spaces and in academia. Her artistry includes graphic design, illustrations, logo design, Deaftoons and art direction.

Five senses scavenger hunt!
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Dame Pat McGrath DBE
A British make-up artist and businesswoman who is widely dubbed as the most influential make-up artist worldwide by Vogue and other leading commentators. Her techniques are known as adventurous and innovative with vivid colors and occasional use of materials like feathers and jewels. She has held many positions in her career including Pantene Pro-V Make-up Artist of the Year and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). While having no formal training in her craft, McGrath worked alongside designers such as Alexander McQueen and Giorgio Armani and for Vogue consecutively for years.

Augusta Savage
An African American sculptor, activist and teacher who contributed greatly during the Harlem Renaissance movement of the 1920s’. She gained huge notoriety from being commissioned by Harlem Libaray to sculpt a bust of W.E.B. Du Bois. She later co-founded the Harlem Artists Guild and founded the Harlem Community Art Center.

La Vaughn Belle
A Tobagonian contemporary artist known for working with themes of colonial hierarchies of Europe and the US, invisibility and social justice. She utilizes different media platforms like drawings, paintings, photography, woodwork, ceramics and video. Along side fellow artist Jeannette Ehlers, they created the 23-foot tall statue titled “I Am Queen Mary”, depicting labor leader Mary Thomas. This is the first public statue of a Black woman in Denmark.

Sarah Vaughan
An African-American jazz vocalist who as been known as one of the first to incorporate bebop into her artistry. At 19 years old, she performed on amateur night at Harlem’s famed Apollo Theatre and took home top prize of $10 as well as opened for Ella Fitzgerald. Following, she toured with many high profile jazz bands before becoming a successful pop and jazz vocalist in the late 1940s and 50s. After a performance at Carnegie Hall with the Count Basie Orchestra, Vaughan began recording many ensemble albums with conductors of the likes of Bill May and Quincy Jones. Throughout her career, she earned 4 Grammy Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award.