What is Revolutionary? A Project by the Design Students in the Academy for Design at the Morris County School of Technology

Sofia Rodriguez, Save Our Future, 2020

The exhibition What is Revolutionary? A Project by the Design Students in the Academy for Design at the Morris County School of Technology will be presented in Ann’s Place Gallery. In preparation for this show, students in the Academy for Design at the Morris County School of Technology in Denville, NJ, worked with their teachers Kerrie Bellisario and Ruben Rosado, to learn more about the process and ideas that professional artists use to create their work. During the virtual school year last spring, the class watched the Art Center’s Cabin Fever Artist Talk by Elisabeth Smolarz, whose work is currently on exhibit at the Art Center. After watching the presentation, students were inspired by Smolarz’s question, “what does it mean to be revolutionary?” They explored this concept in many ways—inviting students to think about what they personally care about, what they care about in their community, and what their national and global hopes are. Elisabeth’s artwork inspired students to design work around the social issues they care about and, in some cases, curate self-portraits by reflecting how they see themselves in the world through carefully chosen objects.

The mission of the Morris County Vocational School District is to provide vocational and enrichment programs that inspire and prepare students to succeed in today’s world and to pursue tomorrow’s opportunities. The district offers technical academies and adult education programs.