Roosevelt Island resident Lauren Blankstein reports:

I am writing this post to share with my Roosevelt Island neighbors that there
is a hidden gem in our proverbial backyard — 62nd St. just east of 2nd Ave.
— which very few Islanders seem to know about.The New York School of the Arts (NYSA) is located in a beautiful renovated warehouse space offering a
variety of painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media classes.

I had been making art for many years prior to enrolling in a painting class at NYSA just before the pandemic.


They saved my sanity when they opened for socially distanced studio-style
classes in the fall of 2020. It wasnt until then that I tapped into the depth
of my creativity and began exploring what I really wanted to say with my work.
There is a generosity and willingness among faculty to support each students
unique practice and help them develop a language and voice. As a result, my work
and practice transformed, and so to go deeper I enrolled in the schools Arts Intensive Program which gives me dedicated studio space and more access to
faculty and classes. The following quote by David Bowie beautifully sums up what
I have learned and internalized:

Always remember that the reason you initially started working is that there was something inside yourself you felt that if you could manifest in some way you would understand more about yourself and how you coexist with the rest of society.

In addition to two expansive floors of spaces for classes (not to mention a massive library of art books), the school houses two galleries for curated shows and a floor dedicated to private studio spaces. New York School of the Arts is celebrating its 5th anniversary with an Open House November 2, 6-9pm.

There will be art demonstrations, refreshments, an exhibition of faculty work
and open studios of resident artists (including mine!). Its a great
opportunity to get a feel for what the school offers. I feel incredibly
fortunate that this special place is so close to home.

For more information about the school.

To RSVP to the open house.