Summer School
Flag Art Foundation
New York, New York
June 9 – July 29, 2016

Curated by Stephanie Roach

Summer School was an expansive group exhibition at the FLAG Art Foundation that celebrated imagination through fantasy, humor, and play. It brought together artists whose works resonated across generations, speaking to children and adults alike.

The exhibition posed a simple but powerful question: might children respond better to art that doesn’t talk down to them? Instead, Summer School presented artwork that engaged directly and sincerely—opening the door for young viewers to experience art with the same joy and curiosity as any adult.

It was awesome to show alongside artists including John Baldessari, Gina Beavers, Dan Colen, Will Cotton, Tara Donovan, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Ugo Rondinone, and many others. The exhibition was full of sensory experiences: Robert Therrien’s towering stack of oversized plates, Awol Erizku’s basketball hoop sculpture, and Tara Donovan’s dizzying wall of Slinkys®, to name a few.

Group Exhibitions

One of the highlights of the show was its educational component. In the lead-up, FLAG invited students from the Harlem Children’s Zone to respond to questions about creativity, color, and self-expression. Their answers were thoughtful, funny, and inspiring. During the run of the show, visitors of all ages could answer those same questions and contribute to an evolving, collective conversation.

For us, Summer School reinforced something we’ve believed for a long time: that art is a platform for storytelling and connection—and that kids often have the most profound things to say.