About Me
Art and Art Education Bio;
Ida Owens was born into a family of educators. Her inspiration to teach began with her mother, grandmother, aunt and great aunt who were all teachers. Ida is a Visual Artist and an Art Educator with over 35 years of teaching experience with the NYC Department of Education. Ida Obtained her BFA in Fine Art from The School of Visual Arts and her MA in Art and Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Ida is the recipient of the NYCATA/UFT Art Educator of the Year Award, Middle School Division, 2010, and two Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad awards to India and China respectively in 2011 and 2014. Her innovative arts curriculum has provided students from diverse backgrounds opportunities for artistic development, including after school/Saturday programs, murals, parent/child workshops, art gala exhibitions, and international art workshops in Africa and the Caribbean. Her work and award-winning students have been featured in The New York Times and Our Times Press, they have also exhibited at The Brooklyn Museum, BAM with the Brooklyn Philharmonic; York College and The Morgan Library and Museum. Ida's artwork has been featured in various publications including The New York Art Review. She has exhibited at The Center for Arts Education, Center Space Gallery, N.Y; Gallery RIVAA, N.Y; Calabar Gallery, N.Y; Boricua College Gallery, N.Y; The Cork Gallery, NY; Pace Gallery, NY; Macy Gallery, Columbia University, NY; Joloff Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY and the Langston Hughes Community Library, Queens, NY.
One of Ida’s main objectives has been to explore domestically and internationally the dynamic background of individual students, while exposing them to the various cultures, traditions, art methods, and materials of world ethnicities. For Ida, it is important to identify and acknowledge who we all are and how we can unify to make our world a better place through acceptance, tolerance and understanding. There is an inherent communicative quality that allows individuals to speak across language and cultural divides, thus allowing for success in sharing experiences and utilizing rich resources within creative educational contexts. The integration of art and how it emerges and is integrated within everyday life is quite significant. Ida’s teaching methods are moving from the stationary into the global classroom.
Exhibitions:
2020 6th Annual Figures and Faces Exhibition, Fusion Art, online exhibit
www.fusionartps.com/6th-annual-figures-faces-art-exhibition-september-2020/
2020 Politics, Policing, Pandemic, NYCATA/UFT Artist Teacher Show, online exhibit
nycataartistteachershows.webs.com/photo-gallery
2019 Present Tenses, Center for Arts Education;Center Space Gallery, NY
2019 Cultural Preservation, Black History Month Exhibition, Gallery RIVAA, Roosevelt Island,NY
2018 Hidden Talents, Black History Month Exhibition , Octagon Gallery, Roosevelt Island, NY
2016 Contemporary African Spirituality, Calabar Gallery, NY
2014 Spring Artist/Teacher Exhibition, NYCATA/UFT Boricqua College, NY
2007 Melting Pot, Project Diversity Queens, World Culture Open Center, Flushing, NY
2006 Visual Soul, A Mother and Daughter’s View, Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural
Center, Queens Borough Public Library, Corona, NY
2006 Women’s History Month Fashion Show, Tribal Truths Collection, Brenda Brunson-Bey, Brooklyn, NY
2005 Arts & Crafts Show, Queens Borough Public Library, St. Albans Branch,
St. Albans, NY
Under One Roof: A Mother and Daughter Collaborative Art Exhibit, Jollof Restaurant Brooklyn, NY
2000 Conversations Across Cultures: Sharing Histories-Artists of Africa and the Americas, Macy Gallery,
Teachers College, Columbia University, NY
1999 Women’s Visions, A Celebration of Women and their Achievements Through Art, Poetry and Dance,
Macy Gallery, Teachers College, Columbia University
1994 Rutgers National, Works on Paper, Stedman Art Gallery, Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey Campus at Camden, NJ
1992 The New York Federation of Teachers, Annual Art Teachers Exhibit, The Cork Gallery, NY
1992 The Black Art Show, The Great Neck Public Library, Great Neck, NY
1991 The New York Federation of Teachers Annual Art Teachers Exhibit, The Broome
Street Gallery, NY
Bibliography:
Interviews:
Downing, Rachel. “RIVAA Celebrates Black History with Cultural Preservation Exhibit”. The Main Street Wire. February 11, 2019.
James Clarissa. “Laurelton Pride-Artists Ida Owens and Aziza at Octagon Gallery.” Laurelton.NYC, March 7, 2008.
http://www.laurelton.nyc/2018/03/07/laurelton-pride-artists-ida-owens-aziza-exhibit-octagon-gallery/
Warsing, Briana. “RIVAA Puts Black Artists in the Spotlight.” The Main Street Wire. March 10, 2018.
Amun, Aziza. “Ida Owens, artist and educator.” Caribbean Life Newspaper. Queens, New York, June 2015.
https://www.caribbeanlife.com/?s=Ida+Owens+Artis+and+educator
NY1 News. “Rosedale School Holds Annual Arts Gala.”
New York, May 2015.
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/queens/news/2015/05/17/rosedale-school-hold-annual-arts-gala.html#
Jones, Karen. “Teaching Children The Value of Pre-Web Pages.” The New York Times. New York, March 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/arts/artsspecial/for-children-lessons-in-medieval-manuscript-illumination.html?_r=1&ref=artsspecial
Cappuccilli, Kristina. “For the Love of Art.” New York Family Magazine. New York, May 2011.
http://www.newyorkfamily.com/for-the-love-of-art/
Christ, Lindsey. “The Classroom Collection, Part 1: Public Schools’ Artworks Inspire Students, Teachers, Alike.” NY1 News. New York, July 25, 2011.
www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/archives/2011/07/25/the-classroom-collection--part-1--public-schools--artworks-inspire-students--teachers-alike.NYC_143591
Reviews:
Thompson, Ellen. “Mother, Daughter Bare Visual Soul.” Rev. of “Visual Soul, A Mother and Daughter View,” Southeast Queens Press Vol. 7. Issue No. 15, April 14-16, 2006, p19.
Thompson, Ellen. “Mother, Daughter Bare Visual Soul,”Rev. of “Visual Soul, A
Mother and Daughter View,” Queens Tribune Online April 13, 2006,
Krantz, Les. The New York Art Review. Chicago: American Reference, Inc.1988. 964-965.
Catalogues:
Participant Profile Catalogue, Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program, USIEF, 2011, 2014
artSPY, Project Diversity Queens, “Melting Pot” Exhibition Catalogue, Mixed Media Sculpture, November, 2007
Women’s Visions” Exhibition Catalogue, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1999
Rutgers National, “Works on Paper” Exhibition Catalogue, Steadman Art Gallery, Rutgers University, 1999
Educational Videos:
2006-2007 Featured Actor/Artist: The History of Kwanzaa video, part of “The Holiday” series, The History Channel. History.com
Ida Owens was born into a family of educators. Her inspiration to teach began with her mother, grandmother, aunt and great aunt who were all teachers. Ida is a Visual Artist and an Art Educator with over 35 years of teaching experience with the NYC Department of Education. Ida Obtained her BFA in Fine Art from The School of Visual Arts and her MA in Art and Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Ida is the recipient of the NYCATA/UFT Art Educator of the Year Award, Middle School Division, 2010, and two Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad awards to India and China respectively in 2011 and 2014. Her innovative arts curriculum has provided students from diverse backgrounds opportunities for artistic development, including after school/Saturday programs, murals, parent/child workshops, art gala exhibitions, and international art workshops in Africa and the Caribbean. Her work and award-winning students have been featured in The New York Times and Our Times Press, they have also exhibited at The Brooklyn Museum, BAM with the Brooklyn Philharmonic; York College and The Morgan Library and Museum. Ida's artwork has been featured in various publications including The New York Art Review. She has exhibited at The Center for Arts Education, Center Space Gallery, N.Y; Gallery RIVAA, N.Y; Calabar Gallery, N.Y; Boricua College Gallery, N.Y; The Cork Gallery, NY; Pace Gallery, NY; Macy Gallery, Columbia University, NY; Joloff Restaurant, Brooklyn, NY and the Langston Hughes Community Library, Queens, NY.
One of Ida’s main objectives has been to explore domestically and internationally the dynamic background of individual students, while exposing them to the various cultures, traditions, art methods, and materials of world ethnicities. For Ida, it is important to identify and acknowledge who we all are and how we can unify to make our world a better place through acceptance, tolerance and understanding. There is an inherent communicative quality that allows individuals to speak across language and cultural divides, thus allowing for success in sharing experiences and utilizing rich resources within creative educational contexts. The integration of art and how it emerges and is integrated within everyday life is quite significant. Ida’s teaching methods are moving from the stationary into the global classroom.
Exhibitions:
2020 6th Annual Figures and Faces Exhibition, Fusion Art, online exhibit
www.fusionartps.com/6th-annual-figures-faces-art-exhibition-september-2020/
2020 Politics, Policing, Pandemic, NYCATA/UFT Artist Teacher Show, online exhibit
nycataartistteachershows.webs.com/photo-gallery
2019 Present Tenses, Center for Arts Education;Center Space Gallery, NY
2019 Cultural Preservation, Black History Month Exhibition, Gallery RIVAA, Roosevelt Island,NY
2018 Hidden Talents, Black History Month Exhibition , Octagon Gallery, Roosevelt Island, NY
2016 Contemporary African Spirituality, Calabar Gallery, NY
2014 Spring Artist/Teacher Exhibition, NYCATA/UFT Boricqua College, NY
2007 Melting Pot, Project Diversity Queens, World Culture Open Center, Flushing, NY
2006 Visual Soul, A Mother and Daughter’s View, Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural
Center, Queens Borough Public Library, Corona, NY
2006 Women’s History Month Fashion Show, Tribal Truths Collection, Brenda Brunson-Bey, Brooklyn, NY
2005 Arts & Crafts Show, Queens Borough Public Library, St. Albans Branch,
St. Albans, NY
Under One Roof: A Mother and Daughter Collaborative Art Exhibit, Jollof Restaurant Brooklyn, NY
2000 Conversations Across Cultures: Sharing Histories-Artists of Africa and the Americas, Macy Gallery,
Teachers College, Columbia University, NY
1999 Women’s Visions, A Celebration of Women and their Achievements Through Art, Poetry and Dance,
Macy Gallery, Teachers College, Columbia University
1994 Rutgers National, Works on Paper, Stedman Art Gallery, Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey Campus at Camden, NJ
1992 The New York Federation of Teachers, Annual Art Teachers Exhibit, The Cork Gallery, NY
1992 The Black Art Show, The Great Neck Public Library, Great Neck, NY
1991 The New York Federation of Teachers Annual Art Teachers Exhibit, The Broome
Street Gallery, NY
Bibliography:
Interviews:
Downing, Rachel. “RIVAA Celebrates Black History with Cultural Preservation Exhibit”. The Main Street Wire. February 11, 2019.
James Clarissa. “Laurelton Pride-Artists Ida Owens and Aziza at Octagon Gallery.” Laurelton.NYC, March 7, 2008.
http://www.laurelton.nyc/2018/03/07/laurelton-pride-artists-ida-owens-aziza-exhibit-octagon-gallery/
Warsing, Briana. “RIVAA Puts Black Artists in the Spotlight.” The Main Street Wire. March 10, 2018.
Amun, Aziza. “Ida Owens, artist and educator.” Caribbean Life Newspaper. Queens, New York, June 2015.
https://www.caribbeanlife.com/?s=Ida+Owens+Artis+and+educator
NY1 News. “Rosedale School Holds Annual Arts Gala.”
New York, May 2015.
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/queens/news/2015/05/17/rosedale-school-hold-annual-arts-gala.html#
Jones, Karen. “Teaching Children The Value of Pre-Web Pages.” The New York Times. New York, March 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/arts/artsspecial/for-children-lessons-in-medieval-manuscript-illumination.html?_r=1&ref=artsspecial
Cappuccilli, Kristina. “For the Love of Art.” New York Family Magazine. New York, May 2011.
http://www.newyorkfamily.com/for-the-love-of-art/
Christ, Lindsey. “The Classroom Collection, Part 1: Public Schools’ Artworks Inspire Students, Teachers, Alike.” NY1 News. New York, July 25, 2011.
www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/archives/2011/07/25/the-classroom-collection--part-1--public-schools--artworks-inspire-students--teachers-alike.NYC_143591
Reviews:
Thompson, Ellen. “Mother, Daughter Bare Visual Soul.” Rev. of “Visual Soul, A Mother and Daughter View,” Southeast Queens Press Vol. 7. Issue No. 15, April 14-16, 2006, p19.
Thompson, Ellen. “Mother, Daughter Bare Visual Soul,”Rev. of “Visual Soul, A
Mother and Daughter View,” Queens Tribune Online April 13, 2006,
Krantz, Les. The New York Art Review. Chicago: American Reference, Inc.1988. 964-965.
Catalogues:
Participant Profile Catalogue, Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program, USIEF, 2011, 2014
artSPY, Project Diversity Queens, “Melting Pot” Exhibition Catalogue, Mixed Media Sculpture, November, 2007
Women’s Visions” Exhibition Catalogue, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1999
Rutgers National, “Works on Paper” Exhibition Catalogue, Steadman Art Gallery, Rutgers University, 1999
Educational Videos:
2006-2007 Featured Actor/Artist: The History of Kwanzaa video, part of “The Holiday” series, The History Channel. History.com