Expanding the Walls 2020

Mariah is a freshman from Harlem, and she has a lot of family all over the world. She loves to read, act goofy, and an actress in training. She has a quiet but not quiet life. Mariah applied to this

Mariah is a freshman from Harlem, and she has a lot of family all over the world. She loves to read, act goofy, and an actress in training. She has a quiet but not quiet life. Mariah applied to this program to hopefully find herself in art. She doesn’t really know what she wants to be or who she is at the moment, but she hopes to find who she is in this program. Mariah's inspiration comes from her mother and father. Her mom always pushes her to do the best she can and be herself; she is her biggest fan and will stand by her through anything. Her dad is also an artist. He teaches her to move and sway in her own way like a brush on a canvas. Mariah doesn’t have a favorite artist because she listens to a plethora of people. She loves poetry and to write as a way of expressing herself or just for the fun of it. Mariah is still undecided on what she wants to do in the future but she hopes it’s something that she loves and something that she doesn’t want to give up on.

Jean Carlos Espinoza is a young boy from Venezuela with a desire to learn every day. He is passionate about video games, photography, music, art, and technology. Jean applied to the Expanding the

Jean Carlos Espinoza is a young boy from Venezuela with a desire to learn every day. He is passionate about video games, photography, music, art, and technology. Jean applied to the Expanding the Walls program because it an opportunity to demonstrate his artistic skills and learn professionally from other artists. His inspirations are Leo Messi, his Gladys arts teacher, and Elon Musk. Black and white drawings call his attention and in color photographs, his goal is to graduate from college. Jean wants to use photography to tell more of his story.

Armando was born and raised in Manhattan. His hobbies are creating videos, playing videos games, and watching anime. He applied to Expanding the Walls program because he wanted to express himself

Armando was born and raised in Manhattan. His hobbies are creating videos, playing videos games, and watching anime. He applied to Expanding the Walls program because he wanted to express himself through artwork and learn more about the history of NYC. He’s inspired by his hard working parents and older sister. He plans to support his parents and use photography to express his true emotions.

Anju is a student from Harlem. They applied to Expanding the Walls to learn more about the neighborhood they live in and the history of the arts in Harlem. Anju’s inspiration comes from the people

Anju is a student from Harlem. They applied to Expanding the Walls to learn more about the neighborhood they live in and the history of the arts in Harlem. Anju’s inspiration comes from the people they surround themselves with every day and artists such as Carrie Mae Weems, Catherine Opie, and Audre Lorde. Anju values meaningful art that comments or reflects on the time in which it was made. The art that they make is created from emotions and opinions, and is often a response to a certain social issue or an exploration of a time or place. In their free time, Anju likes playing music, cooking and baking, and hanging out with their friends and dog. In the future, they would like to study art history, specifically photography, and create art that reflects who they are, their environment, and how they are feeling.

Ashly is a courageous person who was born and raised in Washington Heights. Some of her favorite hobbies are playing volleyball and taking portraits of her friends to try to get them to see the beauty

Ashly is a courageous person who was born and raised in Washington Heights. Some of her favorite hobbies are playing volleyball and taking portraits of her friends to try to get them to see the beauty that they don’t usually see. She applied to Expanding the Walls to expand her understanding of art and the various forms of it that she didn’t know existed. This is also her second year applying to the program and she is grateful for being in a group with people who are just like her. Some of her inspirations include Melanie Martinez, Ariana Grande, Elvis Presley, and Billie Eilish. In the future, she hopes that she’ll have her life somewhat figured out and has grown more into an independent woman.

Juan was born in Queens but raised in the Bronx. Juan enjoys spending time with his friends and traveling to new areas. He applied to Expanding the Walls because he has always had an interest in art

Juan was born in Queens but raised in the Bronx. Juan enjoys spending time with his friends and traveling to new areas. He applied to Expanding the Walls because he has always had an interest in art and wanted to learn more about it. Expanding the Walls provides the perfect learning opportunity on entering the art world. Juan plans to be a photographer traveling the world taking photos of memorable landscapes and building’s to share with the public in the future.

Omar was born in Harlem and moved to the Bronx at just one year old. He loves to play basketball and help others in his free time. Ginny visited The Eagle Academy School in late September and

Omar was born in Harlem and moved to the Bronx at just one year old. He loves to play basketball and help others in his free time. Ginny visited The Eagle Academy School in late September and educated him about The Studio Museum in Harlem. He loves photography for the simple fact that you get to create your own art. He also likes going near airports and capturing photos of aircraft’s taking off and landing. He is inspired by one of his older friends who is currently serving in the military. Omar grew up in a rough neighborhood and didn’t necessarily have friends. Even though it wasn’t positive it hasn’t stopped him from following his dreams and that’s amazing. He hopes to pursue his dream of being a commercial airline pilot at the age of 21!

Fredi was born in Yonkers and grew up in Harlem. Her family is from all over Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. She enjoys all mediums of art including visual art, photography, writing, jewelry

Fredi was born in Yonkers and grew up in Harlem. Her family is from all over Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. She enjoys all mediums of art including visual art, photography, writing, jewelry-making, music, theatre, and more. She applied to Expanding the Walls because she has always had a passion for the arts, and this program seemed like a really important opportunity for her to take. She draws inspiration from a variety of different artists, nature scenes, and her daily life. Her plans for the future are not quite set yet, but she definitely wants to be able to include art in her career.

Nyasia was born and raised in Brooklyn. Her hobbies are singing, reading, writing, and taking photos of her friends. Nyasia applied to Expanding the Walls because she wanted a better understanding of

Nyasia was born and raised in Brooklyn. Her hobbies are singing, reading, writing, and taking photos of her friends. Nyasia applied to Expanding the Walls because she wanted a better understanding of black art and to explore the meaning of community with the people around her. To her, this program seemed like the best place to interact with others and artists who once also sat in her shoes. Her inspirations are Joji, Flo Ngala, Kendrick Lamar, Micaiah Carter, the band Wallows, her mom, and her late grandmother. In the future, Nyasia hopes to explore the world, motivating other African American kids with her photography and writings. If she ever gets the chance, she hopes to come back to Brooklyn and open her own studio gallery for artists that also need a space to create and motivate others, as well as themselves.

April comes from Washington Heights. She enjoys listening to music and going to concerts. Some of her favorite interests include photography and videography. She likes to take photos and edit videos

April comes from Washington Heights. She enjoys listening to music and going to concerts. Some of her favorite interests include photography and videography. She likes to take photos and edit videos of her friends whenever she can. April applied to Expanding the Walls after her guidance counselor and friends suggested her to do so. She also wants to learn more and expand her knowledge of film and photography. April is constantly being inspired by her friends, family, and the world around her. She has hopes to become a concert photographer in the future.

Kaelynn is a small (I mean small she’s like 5’1 guys) city girl from Spanish Harlem. Her passions include singing R&B, dancing, playing the piano, and fashion. If you think you’re compatible with

Kaelynn is a small (I mean small she’s like 5’1 guys) city girl from Spanish Harlem. Her passions include singing R&B, dancing, playing the piano, and fashion. If you think you’re compatible with Kaelynn, think again, she’s a Pisces. Kidding, they get along with most people. She considers painting, modeling, and politics to be three of her many hobbies. She identifies as an Ecuadorian and Peruvian environmentalist who struggles to become a vegetarian. She applied to Expanding the Walls because she wants to invest in her artistry. She believes that the experience acquired from other fields of art can be used to enhance her ability as a performer. Some of her favorite artists include Lauryn Hill, Al Green, Adele, Frank Ocean, The Delfonics, Bob Marley, Steve Lacey, Snoh Aalegra, and Jerry Rivera. She plans on traveling to her home countries along with other isolated parts of the world. Her goals are to be happily successful, not a corrupt sort of success either; she’s just trying to live comfortably. Aren’t we all? Keep grinding. Thanks for reading my bio.

Simon was born and raised in the Philippines and recently came to the U.S. Growing up, he always liked to play and listen to music, and even now as a teenager, he sometimes creates rap songs.. He's

Simon was born and raised in the Philippines and recently came to the U.S. Growing up, he always liked to play and listen to music, and even now as a teenager, he sometimes creates rap songs.. He's also into working out, fitness, and self-discipline. Simon will always try to grow to become a better man in the future. He’s participating in Expanding the Walls because he wants to see and understand different people’s perspectives and how they define their own creations and inventions. He wants to learn and relate to other people's thoughts and imaginations, because he believes that understanding is loving, and loving people is one of the most important things a living being can do in their lives. He wants to be an entrepreneur or become one of the most vital military forces in the the U.S Navy. However, he's still undecided and wants to venture around to discover what he really wants to do in his life. He's inspired by many soldiers in history, including the "White feather", Prince EA, The Greek Warrior, Leonidas I, and Andres Bonifacio, the father of the Philippine Army

Delaney is originally from Manhattan and is currently living in the Bronx. Delaney enjoys contributing to her community by helping people become environmentally aware. She also enjoys taking

Delaney is originally from Manhattan and is currently living in the Bronx. Delaney enjoys contributing to her community by helping people become environmentally aware. She also enjoys taking initiative by teaching herself new sports like skateboarding, roller blading, and ice skating. Delaney applied to Expanding the Walls because she has a passion for the arts. She enjoys analyzing work of artists that demonstrate feelings of nostalgia and the struggles of life. Being a part of the program also provides Delaney with a comfortable and welcoming environment for her to develop as a creator. As a person of color, some artists that inspire Delaney are Frida Kahlo and Jean-Michel Basquiat. In the future, Delaney hopes to pursue the arts.

Jason is from The Bronx. He was encouraged to apply to Expanding the Walls due to the opportunities in learning photography and facilitating exhibitions. His favorite artists include David Shama,

Jason is from The Bronx. He was encouraged to apply to Expanding the Walls due to the opportunities in learning photography and facilitating exhibitions. His favorite artists include David Shama, Garry Winograd, Edgar Allen Poe, Jarad Higgins, and Akira Toriyama. During his free time he enjoys playing soccer, writing poems, and taking pictures. Jason aspires to one day help create projects that will change the world through computer science and technology.

Janavi is a Dominican-Puerto Rican-Jamaican kid born in Washington Heights who then moved over to the Bronx at 13. My hobbies are modeling, taking pictures of nature, and people. I also play

Janavi is a Dominican-Puerto Rican-Jamaican kid born in Washington Heights who then moved over to the Bronx at 13. My hobbies are modeling, taking pictures of nature, and people. I also play basketball and often dream a lot, mainly on my future and possible routes and options I can take. I applied to Expanding the Walls because I think I can find my purpose taking pictures, and potentially reach my goal of bettering my skills as a photographer. My inspiration is inspiring others, old or young, black or white, small or tall, the same way my mentors have inspired me. In the future, I hope to continue bettering my skills as a photographer and potentially have a career in photography. However, I would also like to be a Fire Fighter. Being in the same field as my dad, I hope to save lives not only literally but figuratively through art and my efforts. To even influence other people’s lives the way my mentors influenced mine.