Schomburg Teen Curator Justin Rodriguez writes about being a Teen Curator and helping create their new exhibition (on view now in our American Negro Theatre, Unshackled Ink: Prints from the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop Collection):

In honor of the late, great Robert “Bob” Blackburn (December 10, 1920-April 21, 2003), the Schomburg Teen Curators explore the impact of his work in the new exhibition on view in our American Negro Theatre, Unshackled Ink: Prints from the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop Collection​.The Schomburg Teen Curators program is an after-school art history enrichment program that admits 30 high school students each year. We learn through curatorial projects and aesthetic engagements with collections at the Schomburg as well as many other cultural institutions and museums. Over the course of the program, our instructors teach us about art careers and we gain behind-the-scenes experience in art curation. Blackburn’s art impacted American society and defined what it means to be unapologetically black long before it became a trending topic.  

Blackburn’s art consisted of geometric shapes, along with vibrant colors that pop out against the darker colored backgrounds. Some examples include “Faux Pas” (1960), “Girl In Red” (1950), “Heavy Forms” (1961), and many others. He later developed open print workshop, which allowed people to master the skill of printmaking for no charge.

As a Teen Curator, I did not know the full extent of black history. However, my experience in the program opened up my mind to a completely new perspective. It taught me about the origin of art in African culture, which has often gone uncredited.

The Teen Curators Program is a very heartening and enjoyable experience. The process for setting up this exhibition encourages us to work together and research the Schomburg collections. We searched for artwork that would support our sub-themes of Vignette, Roots, and Struggle.

Most of the art in the “Roots” section connected with traditional art styles dating back to early Egyptian prints to 20th century portraits of traditional African-American culture. One of my favorite pieces include “Akhenaton,” a woodcut by Michael Kelly Williams, who was a close associate of Blackburn. “Akhenaton” depicts a powerful, Egyptian pharaoh.

Although it was a process to get everything in order and perfect, the result is very satisfying. This project helped us bond as teen curators and made us collaborate in a meaningful way. I encourage other young creatives take advantage of this program and apply and become a Teen Curator at the Schomburg.