VPM News Focal Point
Art teachers mentor high school students at Art 180
Clip: Season 2 | 5m 41sVideo has Closed Captions
Art 180’s Artists residency program connects high school students with working artists.
Working artists mentored high school students at Art 180, a Richmond non-profit that offers art programs for young people and the community. Students worked for two months at the Atlas Gallery in Richmond creating self-portraits and honing their craft. Teacher Barry O’Keefe says, “The reason that art is that magic special sauce is that you can add it to other curriculums that bring it alive.”
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
VPM News Focal Point is a local public television program presented by VPM
The Estate of Mrs. Ann Lee Saunders Brown
VPM News Focal Point
Art teachers mentor high school students at Art 180
Clip: Season 2 | 5m 41sVideo has Closed Captions
Working artists mentored high school students at Art 180, a Richmond non-profit that offers art programs for young people and the community. Students worked for two months at the Atlas Gallery in Richmond creating self-portraits and honing their craft. Teacher Barry O’Keefe says, “The reason that art is that magic special sauce is that you can add it to other curriculums that bring it alive.”
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch VPM News Focal Point
VPM News Focal Point is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipBARRY O'KEEFE: My name is Barry O'Keefe and I'm a teaching artist and a resident here at Art 180.
I think the reason that art is that magic special sauce that you can add to other curriculums that brings it alive is because the subject matter of art is always yourself, you know?
And that's always highly, highly relevant, no matter who you are.
HANNAH GALLAGHER: My name's Hannah Gallagher.
I'm currently a rising senior.
I have been an art student my whole life with a focus on digital art and also traditional realism.
I've always had such a draw to the face, specifically the eye, because it conveys so much emotion and it can bring so much interpretation to the viewer that looks at it.
ALLIANNAH HAMILTON: My name is Alliannah Hamilton.
I'm the assistant art teacher.
So, I am just here to share my wisdom and help problem solve, and develop artistic character and development, so helping with artist development for these students who want to be artists.
It's an artist residency program for high school students.
They get awarded this program where they do get an artist stipend, a supply stipend.
HANNAH GALLAGHER: I think what I've come to really appreciate that I find different than just sitting with a teacher is that it feels more like an equal playing field.
There's very much a reason for the word that they're called mentors instead of teachers because they're there to guide you.
They pushed me in a direction to really challenge myself but also didn't push me away from the ideas or values that I held very strongly in my art.
NIAH MCGEE HAWKINS: I am Niah McGee Hawkins and I guess I'm an artist.
I like doing paintings, I like doing digital art, I like doing character designs and portraits.
I'm going to 12th grade.
I think I've grown with being more comfortable with trying new things and just drawing myself in general really.
ALLIANNAH HAMILTON: All of our students, they do have to apply.
They submit their portfolios and then out of about like 70 applications, they narrow down to about nine or 10 students.
They select through their talent mostly and their commitment.
Like, how much they've put into their practice and how much they're willing to go and what their goals are for their art career.
HANNAH GALLAGHER: My idea with this piece was to have kind of an up close awkward angle and I'm later going to add wooden hands that surround it to kind of have a juxtaposition of, you know, the awkwardness and the non-perfectness of reality in our faces to more geometric, clean smooth shapes and colors to kind of just show that juxtaposition of reality and just the idealness that all of us hold within ourselves.
NIAH MCGEE HAWKINS: It's like hitting at the shore, rather than hitting in the center.
BARRY O'KEEFE: I agree with that.
We've done a lot of journaling and trying to understand the images from our memory almost as works of art in waiting.
And so in sharing that, I think we've gained windows into each other that are unusual to find in a classroom setting.
NIAH MCGEE HAWKINS: So, when we were getting into the meditation and a journal and stuff like that, I was like, this is a cool addition to the drawing and creativity to kind of step back and figure out where your mind's at, so you can be more open and creative.
HANNAH GALLAGHER: They gave me the foundation and most importantly the confidence and comfortability to go that mile, to try myself more.
It's such a community in this space and I've grown to appreciate all of them and everyone so much that I'm quite sad to let it go.
ALLIANNAH HAMILTON: Friday is the opening reception for our exhibit Bloom and you will see all of our hard work over the course of this eight weeks being presented.
So, you'll see each student is creating a self portrait and that will be displayed along with their progress.
HANNAH GALLAGHER: I'm very excited in the sense that this is one of the first shows where I've been able to show my art on a very big scale and there's a kind of this joy that I have of inviting all my friends and family to be able to show them a side of myself that I don't often present.
NIAH MCGEE HAWKINS: It's public and I've never done an exhibition or anything like that before, so I think having other people interested in what I'm doing is like going to be really great and I'm a little nervous.
BARRY O'KEEFE: To have your art seen, especially art that's personal, is to be seen yourself and, you know, art is communication.
If we can succeed at communicating, then we're not alone.
And so, you know, the deeper a thing you can communicate successfully, the less alone you are.
ALLIANNAH HAMILTON: Art is medicine, like I believe that a lot, and like just to be able to express ourselves in this artistic way helps us find a peace of mind for ourselves outside of when we leave here.
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 8m 27s | One way of honoring those who make the ultimate sacrifice is to care for their children. (8m 27s)
Reviving a forgotten beach called Bay Shore
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 7m 49s | It was a welcoming playground for Black beachgoers during segregation. (7m 49s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 2m 34s | Crabbers and regulators clash as Blue Crab populations remain below historic averages. (2m 34s)
Now PlayingArt teachers mentor high school students at Art 180
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 5m 41s | Art 180’s Artists residency program connects high school students with working artists. (5m 41s)
Antoine Craig: a blind soccer star who guides others
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 5m 10s | Antoine Craig is a member of the first-ever U.S. Men’s National Blind Soccer team (5m 10s)
Politics of abortion in Virginia
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 5m 30s | Abortion is on the ballot in Virginia’s November election. (5m 30s)
Young man’s death invokes the history of Central State
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 6m 36s | Professor says racial bias denies Black Americans their humanity during a mental crisis. (6m 36s)
UVA’s Larry Sabato talks about historic Trump indictment
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 | 7m 55s | Political analyst Larry Sabato talks about the indictment of former President Donald Trump (7m 55s)
Two-Branch Veteran Focuses on the Future
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 8m 12s | Better preparation for transitions is Jackson's focus (8m 12s)
Samuel Harris wants to invest in vets
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 10m 16s | He's building awareness and support for incarcerated veterans (10m 16s)
Incarcerated veteran takes on leadership role
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 12m 21s | As president of Operation Phoenix, Hall seeks change (12m 21s)
Incarcerated veteran still aims to serve
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 12m 23s | White aims to educate and be educated after twenty years (12m 23s)
He says we've seen this before
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 8m 40s | Navy veteran Tim Miller says veterans face old demons (8m 40s)
Former Marine says it's about the training
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 4m 48s | Wallace says there's good and bad in the military lifestyle (4m 48s)
Aber says Project Exile is in exile
Clip: S2 Ep13 | 17m 2s | Crime-fighting office says it's not in their vocabulary (17m 2s)
A Young Guitar Player on Galax
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep16 | 1m | Lucas Nichols, a guitar player from West Virginia, plays his cover of Blackberry Blossom. (1m)
What are our children eating at school?
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep20 | 8m 15s | Providing fresh options for Virginia’s students that’s helping local farmers and our kids. (8m 15s)
Iconic Chesapeake Bay blue crabs on the rise
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep20 | 2m 12s | There’s an estimated 323 million crabs living in the Chesapeake Bay. (2m 12s)
A Food Revolution led by Native Americans
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep20 | 7m 47s | Native Americans have begun a movement around healthier food and sustainable agriculture. (7m 47s)
Fit4Kids turns exercise and healthy food into a game
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep20 | 3m 26s | Fit4Kids promotes a healthy lifestyle for children by making nutrition and movement fun. (3m 26s)
Families facing food insecurity turn to CornerStore
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep20 | 3m 33s | People living in Virginia rural communities find themselves in a food desert. (3m 33s)
A Virginia veteran challenges limitations to the GI Bill
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 1m 53s | A veteran accepted at Yale is arguing for benefits given under the GI Bill (1m 53s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 8m 14s | The prison population includes a disproportionate percentage of veterans (8m 14s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 6m 11s | Community efforts focus on suicide prevention (6m 11s)
How Virginia supports its most vulnerable veterans
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 8m 42s | Helping Virginia’s veterans entangled in the criminal justice system. (8m 42s)
Helping Latino Veterans Thrive
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep19 | 3m 6s | Virginia is home to the only national non-profit focused on helping all Latino veterans (3m 6s)
The Right to Bear Arms vs. The Right to Public Safety
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep18 | 5m 47s | When rights collide over gun ownership versus gun control, a look at the gun debate. (5m 47s)
Israel-Hamas War: Origins and Potential for Escalation
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep18 | 7m 15s | The origins of the war between Israel and Hamas and the potential for a growing conflict. (7m 15s)
Impact of Israel-Hamas War on Virginians
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep18 | 2m 19s | Virginians are reacting to the Israel-Hamas War by exercising their right to protest. (2m 19s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep18 | 4m 26s | Two women, guided by their faith, end up on different sides of the debate over abortion. (4m 26s)
Campus Free Speech in Virginia
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep18 | 3m 27s | Where does a student’s right to protest on campus and a speaker’s right to speak collide? (3m 27s)
Virginia Is The World’s Data Center Hub - What’s The Cost?
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 4m 37s | Most of the world’s internet data flows through Virginia. What do more data centers mean? (4m 37s)
Technology Expert on the Biggest Threats to Democracy
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 13m 36s | Expert says AI, fake news and social media are not the biggest threats facing democracy. (13m 36s)
Tech journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher talks about AI
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 19m 7s | Tech journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher says AI "can be a weapon but it’s a tool." (19m 7s)
Is technology overuse hijacking our children’s brains?
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 3m 18s | A Chantilly, VA teacher says technology overuse is making kids less intelligent. (3m 18s)
Epilepsy treatments: Dr. Kenichiro Ono, VCU Health
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 3m 17s | Neurologist Dr. Kenichiro Ono discusses deep brain stimulation and treating epilepsy. (3m 17s)
Deep brain stimulation and disease: Dr. Paul Koch, VCU
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 10m 58s | Dr. Paul Koch discusses deep brain stimulation research and the treatment of disease. (10m 58s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 2m 12s | Artificial intelligence is proving useful for medical breakthroughs (2m 12s)
Artificial intelligence: What are the risks and benefits?
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 7m 46s | What does a future with artificial intelligence look like? We examine risks and benefits. (7m 46s)
AI, implants & smell: Dr. Daniel Coelho, VCU Health
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 9m 2s | Dr. Daniel Coelho discusses deep brain stimulation research (9m 2s)
AI and olfactory-implant systems: Dr. Richard Costanzo, VCU
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep17 | 7m 33s | Dr. Richard Costanzo discusses deep brain stimulation research about the sense of smell. (7m 33s)
Traditions Converge at the 87th Old Fiddler’s Convention
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep16 | 3m 43s | Old Time and Bluegrass music on display in Galax, Va., with bands coming from far away. (3m 43s)
Preserving Virginia’s Hip Hop Culture
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep16 | 1m 55s | A university in Virginia is working to preserve hip-hop culture and history. (1m 55s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep16 | 8m 39s | The Virginia Humanities Folklife Apprenticeship helps musicians connect to their roots. (8m 39s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep16 | 7m 27s | How music education is changing young lives. (7m 27s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep16 | 4m 14s | Discover how music has the power to heal those in addiction recovery. (4m 14s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep15 | 4m 7s | How redlining is still impacting Black homebuyers. (4m 7s)
A school integration pioneer recalls the end of segregation
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep15 | 13m 21s | The Charlottesville Twelve integrated schools more than a year before Ruby Bridges. (13m 21s)
In Richmond, life expectancy can vary by up to 20 years
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep15 | 3m 10s | Life expectancy varies widely across Richmond’s neighborhoods, according to a VCU study. (3m 10s)
Henrico woman looks to end stereotypes in the water
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S2 Ep15 | 3m 1s | A Black woman who learned to swim as an adult now seeks to teach others the same skills. (3m 1s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
- News and Public Affairs
Top journalists deliver compelling original analysis of the hour's headlines.
- News and Public Affairs
FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world.
Support for PBS provided by:
VPM News Focal Point is a local public television program presented by VPM
The Estate of Mrs. Ann Lee Saunders Brown