Steinhardt Freshman Uses Late Artist’s Generosity to Create Public Art
Michelle Palatnik, a freshman studio art major in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, knew she wanted to become an artist from a very young age. A first-generation American, Palatnik used drawing as a means of expressing her thoughts and grappling with the experiences her parents had in their native Russia. But, as it is for many students, tuition presented an obstacle for her.
After being accepted to NYU last spring, Palatnik was encouraged by Linda Vega, undergraduate adviser in Steinhardt’s studio art program, to apply for a new scholarship sponsored by the non-profit public art organization CITYarts and the artist Elizabeth Murray, who died of complications from lung cancer last August. The brainchild of Tsipi Ben-Haim, executive director of CITYarts, the scholarship was Ben-Haim’s way of honoring Murray for her lifelong contributions to the organization. The mission of CITYarts—to empower children by bringing them together with working artists on public art projects—was embodied by Murray, an influential modern artist whose colorful, abstract forms were exhibited in a blockbuster exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 2006.
When Vega learned about the scholarship opportunity, she knew that Palatnik would be a perfect candidate.
“Her drawing skills were exceptional,” says Vega. “But beyond the skills, her desire to communicate strong ideas in her work, particularly about social justice, really matched up with the mission of CITYarts.”
Last May, Palatnik was awarded the inaugural scholarship, which includes funding for four years of tuition at NYU. As the winner, she was asked to take part in one of CITYarts’ public art projects and spent six weeks last summer working with the artists Adam Peachy and James Evans and scores of local school children from Manhattan’s Lower East Side on a mural celebrating nature and raising awareness of global warming.
“It was incredible to have people from the neighborhood cheer us on,” Palatnik says. “A lot of the kids who were involved came from a local homeless shelter. There was nothing more gratifying than seeing their smiles at the end.”
For Ben-Haim, who earned her M.A. in comparative literature from NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Science, the scholarship has been an extension of CITYarts’ mission.
“Youth have to be
active participants in shaping their own future,” she says. “Kids must involve
themselves in activities that are integral to keeping this world alive.”
