Teen Voices: Featuring Assata M.

2016-17 Second Runner-Up for the Young Artist’s Award

Each month we spotlight a teen at CPL.

Assata M.'s Teen Winter Challenge portfolio included very different pieces with great depth. We were excited to see her journey in experimenting with different mediums, such as watercolor and oil. One juror found her image with motion and smoke in the subjects’ eyes was so striking, and recommended Assata experiment more with unique “eye-catching” concepts like this.

Assata created some incredibly dramatic portraits, positioning subjects thoughtfully on each canvas. She made interesting choices with color and absence of color as well as medium (watercolor and oil). Last, but not least, the jury appreciated Assata’s enthusiasm about process. One juror noted she displayed “advanced technique, a wide array of skills across media and a lot of energy!”

Assata was named the second runner-up for the Young Artist’s Award, which means she was awarded a $50 gift card to Blick Art Materials. Note that you can check out some of her works on display in person at HWLC YOUmedia!

The 2016-17 Teen Winter Challenge Jury included:

  • Ade Abioye of Chicago Public Library's Teen Services Department
  • Christine Bespalec-Davis, Education and Programming Manager at the National Veteran's Art Museum
  • Hillary Cook, Assistant Director of Youth Programming at the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Joel Javier, Education Manager at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
  • Joshua Slater, Teen Programming Manager at Hyde Park Art Center
  • Matt Egan of Chicago Public Library's Literature and Language Department
  • Robin Willard of Chicago Public Library's Teen Services Department
  • Sasha Neri of Chicago Public Library's Maker Lab and General and Information Services Department