By Helen Shih
Photo: Bobby Fisher
When SPREAD|Artculture last spoke to Aaron Rose, he was very excited about “Make Something,” an art school for teenagers in Los Angeles that has been in development for several years. While a permanent space is pending, he continues the independent, creative workshops. A New York installment started this week and continues until August 17th, where students are able to pair up with artists and designers to work on projects such as designing a Converse All-Star shoe with Nike designers or puppet-making with artist Todd James.
Make Something began as a month-long art school in New York and L.A. in 2008 where film and street artists taught the elements of their D.I.Y. culture to high school kids. Rose was able to fund the school by using the promotional budget from his film “Beautiful Losers” and help from sponsors. The workshops had such an overwhelmingly positive response from teachers and students that Rose decided to continue the workshops and aim for a permanent schoolhouse.
Photo: Jason Lewis
Make Something comes at a crucial time when fine arts budgets for public schools are as Rose puts it, “slashed to hell.” Rooted in skateboarding, graffiti, hip-hop, and punk-rock culture, the workshops bring art to students in a contemporary way that’s more accessible than an afternoon at a solemn art museum where one can look but not touch.
Stefani Relles’ curriculum is decidedly hands on – a sample of the offerings includes studying documentary photo with Ari Marcopoulous, sign-painting with Jeff Canham, costume design with Cassette Playa, a mural workshop with Os Gemeos, and designing shoes and clothes with designers from Nike, Converse, and Jordan. Ingrid Allen is also an essential partner, a highly involved teacher who interacts with the students. Aaron Rose and Willo Perron are the instigators that bring everyone together.
Manifest Equality, a previous workshop in Los Angeles hostd by Sage Vaughn
The workshops have taught over 2,000 students in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Tokyo. Rose hopes that the D.I.Y. lessons from the workshops spur an inventive way of thinking that can be applied to all situations in life. Comments Rose to Chris Wallace in T Magazine, “That’s what I think is the greatest loss of art classes being cut from school. It’s not just the art class you are missing but the more creative, free-form way of thinking to solve a problem.”
Rose founded the Alleged Gallery on the Lower East Side in the 90’s that was home to artists such as Shepard Fairey, Ed Templeton, Mike Mills, Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, and more. He branded these artists as “Beautiful Losers” in a museum exhibit, a book, and then the 2008 film. Rose is also represented by the Directors Bureau in Los Angeles and collaborates with advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy to create content for WKE, WKEntertainment. Despite his lengthy list of achievements, Rose says, “I can probably say that teaching is quite possibly the most important work I’ve done.”
For a full schedule of classes and information on where to sign up, visit makesomethingschool.com.
Links:
Make Something School
Asked and Answered | Aaron Rose
Aaron Rose in SPREAD|Artculture (p. 28)
