Instructor Molly Lambe
Aryn Akbota, Mia Bookstaber, Emma Bromley, Joyce Zhuowen Chen, Zi Xuan (Sharon) Chen, Anna Cordova, Sophia De Leon, Ali Mahmoud Elkoumy, Nada Mohamed Elkoumy, Willa Field, Danielle Haniph, Jasmine Amena (Jas) Krawczuk, Bok Chee Lau, Kari Lee, Xiang (Kevin) Li, Toby Mossa, Mia Notheisen, Chloe Rounce, Lakshmi Sajith, Mairead Smith, Yuxuan (Martin) Xie, Catharine Yoder
Emma Bromley
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always been drawn to sketching whether it be cartoon characters, everyday objects or the people I saw. Growing up, I became more interested in Disney, specifically the animating style and how the movies or short films made me feel. Now every time I watch a film produced by Disney/Pixar studios I immediately want to draw what I see and I often find myself mentally taking apart each frame to get a better sense of what the animators did to get the moving characters on the screen. My overall goal for my future is to become a Pixar animator so that I can inspire others through my art like Disney has inspired me.
Disney has been a huge part of my inspiration, but I also have had other influences for my dream. Before drawing had taken over my life, I was a huge theatre nerd, performing in everything I could get enrolled in. When my sister got involved with musicals as well, I found myself helping to design sets and put makeup on her cast members which is where I met my first mentor Janet Slaughter. She was a stage crew mom who was always invested in building amazing props, costumes and backdrops. Before she passed away she had inspired my artistic choices greatly, mainly because the shows we helped to create were Disney based and now I have continued to progress in a more comic/animated style because of her advice. In the past I’ve also attended every art course my school has offered, sold some of my artwork through my community, drew with chalk in peoples’ driveways at the beginning of the pandemic, and I recently attended an online art program that gave lessons on how to create original characters along with an actual NYU art course that lasted four weeks. My current job even has me designing graves which allowed me to become acquainted with graphic design through the tools given on a computer, which then made the smooth transition to apps such as Photoshop and Premiere more achievable. All of these steps and smaller goals have really made applying to NYU more approachable in the sense that I am more than prepared to work on anything I can get my hands on at this school. With that prior art experience I will be able to expand it through this university, which allows for more diversity in what I’m capable of.
NYU would make all the difference in reaching my dream job at Pixar Studios because I see it providing the most unique set of skills I will need to further my experience and career. With your help, I know I will be able to become a more successful person in whichever path I inevitably follow. So after reading this letter and finding your way through the art I have submitted, I look forward to seeing whether or not you’ll allow me to use my motivation to progress through your professors, courses, and resources.
Danielle Haniph – Personal Artist Statement
When covid-19 hit America during my sophomore year (2020-2021), my life as a person and as an artist changed forever. Similar to many others during the pandemic, I was very unhappy. Those who I thought were my “friends” began to show their true colors, and my social life became inactive. As a result, I forced myself into my schoolwork for the fear I would be hurt by my peers. To worsen the situation, my depression and schoolwork prevented me from being able to create art, which further deprived me of life and purpose. When my summer began, I began to create art again, but I still felt wounded from the past year. Then, towards the middle of my summer, I was one of 50 students to attend NYU’s virtual summer art program—it was an eye-opening experience for me. The course load was heavy but, unlike my schoolwork, I was happy through my stress. For the first time, I realized I wanted to give my life to art. At that moment, I felt as if I had finally found out who I was supposed to be, and I was happier and more confident than ever. This epiphany further prompted me to quit the cross country team at my high school, so that I could pursue opportunities in the arts. Even though I had been running cross country since the 4th grade, I recognized that it didn’t make me happy anymore, and it wouldn’t give me the same success I knew art would in the future.
When describing my art, I love to call it “happy art.” As an artist, I want others to encounter what I experience when I create: joy and confidence. When I create art, I experience an undeniable sense of happiness and fulfillment that cannot be obtained through anything else. When I hold an art tool, I gain a sort of power that makes me feel unstoppable. Art allows me to be myself in my own free space. Oftentimes, it gets to the point where I feel as if I am transcending everything around me until I am in a completely different universe. Moreover, I have made it my goal to generate that same special happiness in my viewers to the point where it sparks confidence or other positive emotions in their moods.
To spark these emotions in my viewers, I use color. In my artwork, color is a vessel in which I express myself as an artist, convey different ideas and themes, and play around with mood. When choosing color palettes, I often take inspiration from the vivid colors of the 1950s pop art movement and the glowing pastels of the impressionist era. These colors have a great effect on my viewers. For example, the pieces that are filled with bold, striking colors make my viewers feel cheerful and lively. Whereas, my pastel-colored pieces provide a sense of comfort or harmony in my viewers. In addition, experimenting with color (especially when I create sunsets
or galaxies) allows me to transform objects of reality into imaginative and dreamier versions of themselves. For example, in my piece, “Space Walking,” rather than using the common dark blues and blacks to resemble the depths of space, I used royal blues, light blues, and even vivid purples to create a captivating galaxy.
Art is my dream and my purpose. The newfound confidence and strength I have gained through art is something I want to experience for the rest of my life and career. With my art, I want to change the world for the better. I have been told countless times by others that “art is stupid” or “the world doesn’t need art.” My dream is to change these views and make people aware that art is everywhere. I always love to say that “art is everything and anything.” Art is not just paintings and drawings, but ideas, words, and thoughts that are brought to life through an artistic mind. The world needs to know that we could not survive without art. In fact, art is what gives the world life.
My mantra has always been “Success is a choice.” I know now more than ever that by choosing art, I have chosen the path to success. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure I follow that path to the end.