JUDICIARY AND THE ARTS
The subcommittee on civic education and speakers’ bureau works closely with schools throughout the Second Circuit to provide opportunities for students and the public to learn about the work of the courts. Subcommittee projects include celebrating Law Day and Constitution Day annually, hosting student mock trial and moot court programs, presenting court library labs for students, offering teacher professional development programs, and visiting schools for in-building education programs. The subcommittee has developed a strong relationship with the New York City Department of Education and the Justice Resource Center.
Judiciary and the Arts arose from the subcommittee’s interest in expanding its programs to reach students who are developing their skills to express their ideas through the arts, including visual media. During the spring semester, specially selected high school visual arts educators are invited to develop an instructional plan with their art students. These plans actively engage the students with the judiciary as a civic institution committed to the fair and effective administration of justice, honor student voices, and culminate in a visual representation of the knowledge gained by the students about the judiciary and the rule of law in the United States. The project is consistent with the pedagogical practices described in the New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Visual Arts and the New York State Standards for the Arts.
We are pleased to share digital copies of the artwork created by the students below.
The Matisse Foundation provided support to the Justice Resource Center for this project.
2026 THURGOOD MARSHALL U.S. COURTHOUSE
Principal: Mr. Raeke
Teacher: Ms. Moarof-Fins
Project Title: JURY VOICES
We have explored the concepts of social justice, legal equity and civic duty through creative expression. Students analyzed the role of the American judiciary system and translated these social structures into compelling visual narratives. Students examined how ordinary citizens hold power within the legal framework, exploring concepts of fairness, representation, empathy, humanization and due process.
Principal: Joaquin Vega
Teacher: Rachel Levine
Project Title: THE JUDICIARY PROCESS RELATED TO STOLEN ART
Students were assigned groups who worked as a team to study four separate court cases and present their interpretations of these cases through collaborative puppetry, book-making or individual comic-page creations. For this projects students represented:
- Bakalar v. Vavara
- United States v. The Portrait of Wally
- United States v. The Painting Known as A Scholar Sharpening His Quill, by the artist Salomon Koninck
- Zuckerman v. Metro. Museum of Art
While studying these cases, students learned about ways art is moved or stolen during times of conflict and what laws protect the owners and/or their heirs. The students were able to vote at their tables and decide if they agree or disagree with the outcome of the case and discuss their reasoning with their group. They then chose the medium through which they could best represent the case.
Principal: Gideon Frankel
Teacher: Laura Blau
Project Title: INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED PROMPTS
Students had the option to choose their own prompt from the five projects offered by the Judiciary and the Arts project. Some students gravitated towards the “stolen art” prompt and were curious to explore the cases and artworks. Some explored ways to depict their ideas about, and connection to, the naturalization process; they were inspired by personal and family stories of gaining citizenship. Some students symbolically depicted their interpretations of grievances in the Declaration of Independence, and celebrated its 250th anniversary. Some who are interested in design or architecture chose to explore the courtroom of the future.
Principal: Keri Alfano
Teacher: Victoria Stolz
1.Project Title: STOLEN ARTWORK
Our class studied different branches of government and the role each plays. Students studied cases of stolen art and chose a piece of famous artwork that had been stolen (regardless of whether it has since been returned or not). They then created an Empty Frame that theoretically would have held the missing artwork. The frame was supposed to be designed in the style of the artwork or the time period in which the artwork was stolen.
2.Project Title: NATURALIZATION BUTTONS
Our class studied different branches of government and the role each plays. Students studied the process by which one can become a US citizen, and then created a button that a newly naturalized citizen would receive, much like voters receive the “I voted” sticker.
2.Project Title: CHALLENGE/OVERTURNED COURT CASES
Our class studied different branches of government and the role each plays. Students studied different court cases which were appealed or otherwise returned to court. Students created a visual representation of the case they chose based on their research..
Principal: Maximillian Sugiura
Teacher: Matt Lassen
1.Project Title: STOLEN ART COURT CASES
Junior Cartoonists worked in small groups to tell the story of four different court cases about stolen art. They broke down each case into different moments they wanted to illustrate and they created their own individual illustration separating foreground, middle ground and background planes digitally. Each plane was printed out separately, glued onto mat board and dye cut using a knife. They used foam core spacers to separate planes to make their illustrations appear 3D. Each illustration is read in sequence to tell the full story of the court case.
2.Project Title: MURALS INSPIRED BY NATURALIZATION
Two students collaborated on a three-panel mural to symbolize the process of Naturalization. They crafted a story that starts in panel one with a bird leaving the nest from a desolate environment that transitions to the second panel where they are soaring over a Naturalization Ceremony and finally settling in to their new home and building a new life in panel three to symbolize the embodiment of the American Dream. Each panel is completed in acrylic paint on Masonite boards that each measure 4 feet by 3 feet.
3.Project Title: VOICES OF AMERICAN JURY
One student depicted the importance of the jury within a trial within a 3D illustration showing a lawyer directing their statements and remarks directly to the jury to symbolize even though there might be a judge and two lawyers who are important and have expertise within the courtroom, the true power is within the members of the jury. Each individual illustration was created by separating foreground, middle ground and background planes digitally. Each plane was printed out separately, glued onto mat board and dye cut using a knife. The student used foam core spacers to separate planes to make their illustrations appear 3D.
4.Project Title: GRIEVANCES OF THE 13 COLONIES IN 3D ILLUSTRATIONS WITH A 5 FT. STANDEE
Three students researched and discussed which grievances they would like to pinpoint within their illustrations, ultimately deciding upon The Stamp Act, The Sugar Act and The Tea Act. Each student picked an individual act to work on. They decided to work in monochromatic color to symbolize each act to make up the three colors of the American flag. The Stamp Act is done in red, the Sugar Act in white and the Tea Act in blue. Each individual illustration was created by separating foreground, middle ground and background planes digitally. Each plane was printed out separately, glued onto mat board and dye cut using a knife. They used foam core spacers to separate planes to make their illustrations appear 3D. The standee was a collaborative effort as well. One student sketched the figures, another inked them and another colored them. It was vectorized and printed big before being glued to foam core and cut out with knives. Each illustration has a word balloon for the standee colonists’ words.
Principal: Pedro Cubero
Teacher: Bethany Trust
1.Project Title: NATURE’S WAY
We were inspired by an artwork from last year’s exhibit where the artist included an animal in the courthouse, so we went with this idea of adding natural elements (like fish, bees, a tree and leaves) in a silly and funny way. We also included Lady Liberty. For this project, the Statue of Liberty was a reference, but we wanted to draw her in our own style.
2.Project Title: “OBJECTION!”
I was inspired by 2 anime series: JJK (Jujutsu Kaisen) and Ace Attorney. I used some characters from these series to show the action in the courtroom. I wanted to show three different panels, like an anime, and I used a black Sharpie marker to make the center panel stand out. I also included Lady Liberty and a scale from the scales of justice in this center part. A character in Ace Attorney often says “Objection!” which is why I used this as my title.
3.Project Title: THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
I chose The Declaration of Independence because it is interesting to me, and this is something very important to American history. I used Canva to do my project because it allowed me to use many images. Something that inspired me was the American flag. I used it as a background for my digital collage. I used images like the Statue of Liberty and George Washington because I felt like they represented the U.S the most.
4.Project Title: TWELVE CITIZENS, ONE TRUTH
I chose the topic “Voices of the American Jury” because cameras and recording devices are not allowed in federal and appellate courtrooms, which is interesting to me. I created both a digital and traditional colored pencil artwork. My project explores how the American jury system works and how people decide what is fair, and how jurors bring their own opinions and emotions into the courtroom. The work encourages viewers to think about how justice is created and how fairness can mean different things to different people.
5.Project Title: SOLITARY CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE
I chose the Declaration of Independence because I had found it impressive to hear it has been 250 years since it was written, and it made me want to make an “anniversary piece” to show respect for the longevity and prosperity of this document. I used a reference for Thomas Jefferson’s most notable portrait and my sheer imagination for the rest. I combined collage with a printed image of the Declaration of Independence with pencils and watercolor paint.
6.Project Title: OATH OF ADAM
When we first started this project, I was drawn to the topic of naturalization. I wanted to use paint and collage so certain elements of the project would pop out more. I like art, so I wanted to reference a historical painting, and I decided to reference that one painting “The Creation of Adam” in which you can see the two people reaching out to each other with their hands. I put the naturalization certificate in the middle to make it look as if the hand on the right was giving out to the hand to the left who was reaching out for it.
7.Project Title: A TORCH THROUGH THE DARK
The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of FREEDOM and a piece of American history that screams enduring resilience. I painted a lush green image of Lady Liberty hoisting the torch that illuminated flames–not just any flames but the flames that bridge the darkest seas. Below the statue, I glued papers strategically that are related to America’s independence and a skyline that filled the empty spaces. Overall my project emphasizes the eloquence of freedom and the perfect image of liberty: serving as a light through the darkest challenges.
8.Project Title: THE LONG LOST MASTERPIECE
My project is a digital version of the painting Poppy Flowers by Vincent van Gogh. The painting was stolen and the value of the painting is approximately $55,000,000. In my work, this painting is about to be sold in a garage sale. The woman in the garage was not the one that stole the painting but, she is hosting the garage sale. This painting ended up in a garage which is an ordinary place where law enforcement may not be looking for such a valuable work of art.
9.Project Title: LE PIGEON AUX PETITS POIS
I searched online for famous artworks that were stolen. This was a painting by Picasso which translates to “Pigeon with Green Peas.” This painting was stolen from a museum called Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. It was stolen by Vjéran Tomic, who is a known burglar. This painting was never found and is suspected to have been destroyed. I wanted to make pop-up windows to show the artist and the museum behind the painting and the theft.
10.Project Title: THE PRIDE OF AMERICA
I picked the Washington Monument because it represents the start of America’s independence, with it honoring our first president, George Washington. It is located in Washington, D.C. and stands at 555 feet tall. It represents not only our first president, but also the freedom of being a new country that leads itself.
10.Project Title: COURTHOUSE
I found the courthouse to be interesting because for such a simple looking place it has a lot of important cases happening all the time. I wanted to emphasize its structure and architectural appearance. A courthouse should be easily recognizable as the place where justice is served, and critical decisions are made.
10.Project Title: THE MUSEUM OF LOST ART
Our work is about multiple artworks stolen throughout the years. We used oil pastels which was difficult at first, but we got the hang of it. We wanted to show artworks that are not only realistic, but also abstract, and different, because all artworks are valuable and are worth money. Our museum is an imaginary one which features a place where stolen artworks can be viewed in one place.
10.Project Title: THROUGH ALL LAW PREVAILS
I chose this topic because initially, I was interested in the architecture and engineering that went into the construction of the courthouses we see today. I was thinking about creating a courthouse from the future, but then I realized with climate change, war and other negative factors that our future may not look as bright. So I painted the courthouse as a fixture in the community, despite everything that could possibly go wrong, justice and law still prevails. For my artwork, I used references to draw the courthouse on a stretched canvas with acrylic paint.
10.Project Title: SO FAR, YET SO CLOSE
My artwork depicts a painting in a museum that shows a display of artwork, with a shadow of a person in the foreground. The shadow may be a thief looking to steal one or more of these artworks. Outside of this painting it shows a cat security guard standing in front of the painting keeping it safe. I made a fancy frame to make the painting inside of my painting. I like cats which is why I made the security guard one, and I enjoyed using watercolor paint for this artwork.
10.Project Title: A GUYANESE CITIZEN’S JOURNEY
My art is based on my uncle’s journey of becoming a citizen of the United States. He is Guyanese, and he came to the United States 20 years ago to get his green card and his citizenship. He described what inside a naturalization courtroom looks like, and I added the flag of Guyana to represent his nationality and show my country also.
10.Project Title: ROBBERY IN THE ART MUSEUM
My artwork shows a burglar entering a museum about to steal a famous painting by Rembrandt. This piece of art work is called “The Storm on the Sea of Galilee” and it was stolen on March 18, 1990.
My artwork it shows the painting in the museum and a shadowy figure approaching the art. Behind this shadow, you can see two guards talking, unaware that the painting will be stolen soon.
10.Project Title: STOLEN SCREAM
I chose the stolen painting “The Scream” by Edvard Munch because I think that this work has deep meaning and it looks very cool. The original piece was stolen more than once. The artwork had some damage from the theft, but in the end this amazing painting was repaired and restored. I enjoyed painting and then drawing this famous artwork, and I love how colorful it turned out.
10.Project Title: THE PRIDE OF AMERICA
I picked the Washington Monument because it represents the start of America’s independence, with it honoring our first president, George Washington. It is located in Washington, D.C. and stands at 555 feet tall. It represents not only our first president, but also the freedom of being a new country that leads itself.
10.Project Title: LAW IN TWILIGHT
Law in Twilight is the contrast of light and darkness, where justice is tested and every decision can change the wheel of destiny. The sunset and city lights show that even when the world feels uncertain, the courthouse remains a place where truth and hope still exist. Each person’s fate is altered through the grandiose court and every truth weighs a ton. Justice: this small, but yet big act, can impact life’s journey.
10.Project Title: ENSLAVED REVOLTS AGAINST THE PIRATE
My drawing is based on the enslaved Africans that attacked and seized the Spanish ship, La Amistad, in 1839. I drew them in a courtroom because after the slaves revolted against the Spanish, there was a trial. When The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ruled, the Africans were legally free and were allowed to return home. I drew a pirate in this fictional courtroom to remind people that rebelling and taking over a ship is an act of piracy, which has legal consequences.
10.Project Title: BEING “GREEN”
My artwork symbolizes my father’s process in being naturalized, his experience was different because he is in the Army. The title “Being ‘GREEN’” explains the whole piece, what it’s about, and more. Being that my dad is in the Army, the color they mostly wear is green. There is green in the Jamaican flag. To travel and legally stay in a new country or in the U.S, you need a “green” card. When stoplights are green, you go. In the middle of my work, the guy (my dad) walks on the road towards the seal, representing his journey in becoming a U.S citizen.
Principal: Peter McHugh
Teacher: Jessi Abamont
Project Title: TWO POINT PERSPECTIVE COURTHOUSES
Students drew courthouses using two-point perspective to show depth and space. They added architectural details, identified a light source, and applied shading and cast shadows, using markers and/or colored pencils to enhance detail and realism.
Teacher: Adam Gordon
Project Title: FROM GRIEVANCE TO GOVERNANCE: COMMEMORATIVE COIN DESIGN FOR THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
In this project, 7th Grade students design original commemorative coins to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. Students chose a phrase or idea from the Declaration, learned what it means and why it still matters today, and then created a complete commemorative coin design — including imagery, symbols, and a short motto — for both sides of the coin. The coins reflect the actual anatomy of real coins minted by the United States Treasury. The project combines American history with visual art, asking students to think carefully about which founding ideals are worth honoring and how to express those ideas through design.
Principal: Seth Schoenfeld
Teacher: Alexa DeAssis
Project Title: CELEBRATING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, students created a visual artwork representing one or more of the grievances proposed to British King George III on behalf of the 13 American colonies to announce their separation from Great Britain in 1775.
Principal: Carlyn St. Aubain
Teacher: Devin Hatcher
Project Title: IDENTIFYING GRIEVANCES
Students reviewed the Declaration of Independence and researched the 27 Grievances. Students selected a specific grievance and visually represented that grievance by either implementing a resource image or other additional sources.
2025 THURGOOD MARSHALL U.S. COURTHOUSE
Principal: Joaquin Vega
Teacher: Rachel Levine
Project Title: THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE AND THE NATURALIZATION PROCESS
The students learned about the naturalization process and what steps immigrants need to take to obtain American citizenship. The students learned about immigrant artists who have fought to raise awareness and promote immigrant rights in the United States. The students used these artists’ pieces as frameworks for their own compositions and ideas connecting their experiences and cultures to their pieces. The students reflected on their personal desires to participate in or opt out of the naturalization process and their reasons behind their possible choices. The project prompted class discussions in which the students were able to share their experiences with classmates and process their feelings about the naturalization process.
Principal: Burnedette Drysdale
Teacher: Christopher Curti
1.Project Title: CIVIL RIGHTS TYPOGRAPHY
Students were asked to illustrate a famous section of the Declaration of Independence by focusing on one of the three main attributes discussed within, Life, Liberty, or the Pursuit of Happiness. Using the art technique of typography, students chose either a symbol or a civil rights leader, developed a vocabulary about that person or symbol, and created a two-dimensional work.
Teacher: Gloria Adams
2.Project Title: STAMPS OF AMERICA, THE JUDICIARY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Students chose a justice, prominent attorney, court ruling or legislation that has significantly impacted the environment in the United States. These include Justice William O. Douglas, Justice William Newsom, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Attorney Amy Bowers Cordalis. Legislation included the NEPA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. Students studied the topic that they chose, US stamp designs and basic graphic design, and they each created a stamp that celebrates the significance of the justice, attorney, case or act that it illustrates.
Principal: Gideon Frankel
Teacher: Laura Blau
Project Title: INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED PROMPTS
Students had the option to choose their own prompt from the four possibilities proposed by the Court civics subcommittee. Many students chose to focus on telling a story of a nation through stamps. Some explored visual design related to the naturalization process and were inspired by personal and family stories of gaining citizenship. Some students visually depicted text from the Declaration of lndependence. Some who are interested in design or architecture chose to explore the courtroom of the future. One student focused on art law cases.
Principal: Maximillian Re-Sugiura
Teacher: Matt Lassen
1.Project Title: AI COURT CASES TOLD WITHIN 3D ILLUSTRATIONS
Our cartoonists worked collaboratively in small groups to research their chosen court case and break down the major parts of each case. They summarized and brainstormed single image cartoon illustrations for each major event of the case. Each student worked within their own process for thumbnailing, sketching and inking before switching to an array of digital software to color their pieces. They separated foreground, middle ground and background planes while coloring to eventually print each piece out individually, mount it on foamcore and dye cut everything out with an exacto knife. They used spacers to separate their planes to create a 3D effect within their cartoon illustrations. Their work is meant to be read in a specific order to tell the whole story of each case.
2.Project Title: TELLING THE STORY OF A NATION IN STAMPS WITH 3D CARTOON ILLUSTRATIONS
Our cartoonists worked collaboratively in a small group to research and brainstormed different famous figures in judicial history that they felt should be commemorated upon a stamp. After their research they worked to tell the story of each person’s life and career in a single cartoon illustration. They worked in an array of different processes and materials to create their inked pieces while utilizing different digital softwares to render in color. They utilized spatial depth by separating each plane, individually mounting and cutting out each piece on foamcore with an exacto knife. They used spacers to create depth and interest for
their stamps. Their work can be viewed as a small group or individually.
3.Project Title: IDEALS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN 3D ILLUSTRATIONS
Our cartoonists worked collaboratively in a small group to develop ideas of how to illustrate the three ideals of the Declaration of Independence – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They each took an ideal and used their own life and culture to illustrate these ideals in modern society. For instance, “life” is communicated in the vibrant energy and community they experience every day in Washington Heights. They worked in an array of different processes and materials to create their inked pieces while utilizing different digital software to render in color. They utilized spatial depth by separating each plane to
individually mount and cut out each plane onto foamcore with an exacto knife. They used spacers to create depth and interest for their individual artwork. Their work can be viewed as a small group or individually.
Principal: Pedro Cubero
Teacher: Bethany Trust
1.Project Title: LIBERTY’S PROMISE
My drawing was inspired by a visit to the courthouse during a naturalization ceremony. The act of witnessing people leave their homelands in search of opportunity and pledge their allegiance as we welcomed them was a moving experience. lt was heartwarming to see the judge promise our new citizens safety, equality and a new bright future ahead of them. I enjoyed learning and using Prismacolor colored pencils to create this drawing. I carefully chose specific colors to blend together to create this vivid, optimistic image.
2.Project Title: THE AMERICAN STAMP
I found some old stamps in my grandfather’s basement. My teacher helped me figure out how to use these stamps in the design of the American flag. We took photos of the stamps. I cut them out, organized them by color, and then overlapped and glued in the different sections of the flag.
3.Project Title: THE REAL PERSPECTIVE
I was inspired by our trip to the courthouse to witness the naturalization ceremony. When I started the project, I used a reference image that I found online, but then I customized the drawing to reflect the real courtroom I was in. I wanted to use the point of view of the audience in the courtroom because we never really see how the audience is affected or reacts. They are the unprepared and human element in the courtroom.
4.Project Title: LAW IN THE 4TH DIMENSION
A surreal collage mixing classical architecture with modern city life. A grand building with columns and checkered floors opens into a library, while luxury cars and bold patterns add a contemporary twist. The distorted perspective gives it a dreamlike feel.
5.Project Title: GEOGRAPHICAL COURTHOUSE
I found a picture online of an animal in a judge’s place in a courtroom. From there I added other natural elements to the courtroom space. I like nature, and I think it should be part of every interior space, including courthouses.
Principal: Peter McHugh
Teacher: Adam Gordon
Project Title: ILLUMINATING JUSTICE: COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS FOR A NEW ERA
Students explored the concept of justice by designing commemorative stamps, primarily using watercolors. The majority reinterpreted existing symbols, offering their unique perspectives. Others innovated with entirely new emblems, while some chose to honor influential judicial figures through their watercolor designs.
Principal: Selin Alicanoglu
Teacher: Ashling McGlone
1.Project Title: DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Students focused on a particular line from the Declaration of Independence and used imagery to help represent the spirit of the line. Students also worked on their penmanship and calligraphy skills to emphasize the line in their work.
2.Project Title: ART LAW
This artwork is meant to represent how the law protects the artist. The glass represents how AI is covering or masking the true artist. The gavel is breaking the glass so that the artist is able to be free to create.
3.Project Title: COURTROOM MURAL
Students created their own interpretations of the naturalization ceremony. Many focused on the symbolism behind the process, such as the placement of the hands during the ceremony or the documentation. Others focused on the emotion tied to naturalization and how more opportunities are available.
4.Project Title: 250 YEARS IN THE FUTURE: COURTHOUSE DESIGN
The idea behind this project was how the courthouse of the future might no longer be a physical building. Instead it could be a virtual reality experience. In this art piece we see the courthouse through a virtual reality helmet and a few different scenes that represent different scenes from a case(s).
Principal: Herman Guy
Teacher: Hannah Arroto Rivera
Project Title: OUR CULTURES, IDENTITIES, AND LIBERTY
Students were challenged to represent their personalities, emotions, and cultures to create a mural design that could be seen in a courtroom, designs about their chosen judge and a visual representation of the Declaration of Independence. Students first looked towards the artists who collaborated together to create the murals at the Milwaukee County Courthouse as their main source of inspiration. Students also took inspiration from the bright vivid colors of Nayfa Naji expressing her Arabic culture and equality in her mural as well as LUNA exploring Lady Justice through butterflies and nature to increase Latinx artist representation. Each artist took a unique approach to playing around with imagery, symbolism, and art materials as a collaborative effort to celebrate their individuality living here in NYC. A wide variety of mediums were available for students to use- pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, pastels, watercolor paint, acrylic paint markers and magazine collage. From creating sketches to looking at reference photos, each student created drawings, paintings and collages surrounding our topics of freedom, peace, and our individual cultures living here in the Bronx.
Principal: Asia Burnett
Teacher: Erica Yonks
1.Project Title: WE ARE AMERICA
Artists collaborated in a large tapestry to represent young people in America, especially New York City today. No artist had complete control, as all worked in different parts of the the art piece.
2.Project Title: DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Artist researched the Declaration of Independence and thought of all the people that are protected. Artist combined pens, stencils, and paint to complete artwork.
3.Project Title: THE FUTURISTIC COURTHOUSE & JUSTICE STAMP
Artist imagined what a futuristic courthouse world would have. He enjoyed the idea of lots of flowers and a beautiful pathway that leads to the justice process.
4.Project Title: THE REPRESENTATION WE NEED THE MOST
Choosing the justice she relates to most, artist used watercolor, pens, the Cricut machine, and her respect for Sonia Sotomayor to create this piece.
5.Project Title: BALANCE OF LAW
The artist used her favorite materials, watercolors, to create this artwork. She is idolizing the Declaration of Independence and putting it on a pedestal of books to represent the ideals behind the great document.
6.Project Title: STATUE OF LIBERTY
The artists represent the strength of the people that the Statue of Liberty represents. He is symbolizing how difficult it is to uphold the meaning of the statue.
7.Project Title: WE ARE ALL AMERICAN
The artist drew himself on a postage stamp to express the demographic of the American people.
8.Project Title: FREEDOM
The American Bald Eagle is our national bird. Birds take flight and can symbolize freedom we have the rights to.
9.Project Title: UNITED BY DIFFERENCES
This tapestry represents all the different people that are united by our great country.
10.Project Title: JUSTICE
Artist drew her ideas around the freedom of climate change and the dangers of global warming.
Principal: David A. Cugini
Teacher: Michael Young
Project Title: THE AESTHETICS OF JUSTICE: AI, ART, AND THE COURTHOUSE OF TOMORROW
This project explores the evolving relationship between justice and creativity through two visionary lenses: The Courthouse in 250 Years and Art Law: Al in Art. From futuristic courtrooms shaped by technology and ethics to legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence in art, this exhibit invites you to reflect on how law adapts, protects, and inspires across centuries and media.
Principal: Brian Condoh
Teacher: Melissa Nakos
Project Title: TELLING A STORY OF A NATION THROUGH STAMPS
Students created an assemblage American flag as a tribute to the American Flag Forever stamp. The process of assemblage involves using found objects glued or placed on to a surface. The found objects were red, white and blue Legos.
Project Title: TELLING A STORY OF A NATION THROUGH STAMPS
We studied the art of the stamp through a series produced by the Smithsonian. Students chose to create stamps of United States judges or symbols of justice that are significant to our judiciary system. They researched their judges and symbols extensively. They chose specific images and edited them in Adobe Photoshop and or Illustrator. Using these edited images, they painted realistic, posterized or abstractly for their composition.
Principal: Carlyn St. Aubain
Teacher: Devin Hatcher
Project Title: UNITED
Students reflected on the process of naturalization ceremonies. Camila sketched out the mural to represent how that pathway to citizenship experience may have looked like. Students then united and collaborated to illustrate the murals using specific colors they thought would represent each portion of the mural accordingly.
2024 THURGOOD MARSHALL U.S. COURTHOUSE
Teacher: Rachel Levine
Project Title: PLAGIARISM VERSUS INSPIRATION: LEGALLY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF CREATIVITY
Students learned about three court cases and acted as the jury and judge to determine whether the client in the case they were learning about was guilty or not guilty of plagiarism as per the “fair use” in copyright law guidelines. The students were introduced to different ways artists throughout history inspired each other’s work and influenced each other’s creative process. The students then chose a piece by an artist who inspired them and created their own works which would be considered a “fair use” alteration of the work inspired by their chosen artist and piece.
Teacher: Laura Ricca
Project Title: COURTROOMS OF THE FUTURE
For this project students designed a courtroom that would represent the feel and the mood that they would like to see happen in a courtroom. The students wanted to emphasize peace, tranquility, harmony and a safe feeling in their courtroom. They did this by incorporating their culture, home and what they feel the future would want to feel when entering a courtroom.
Principal: Burnedette Drysdale
Teacher: Chris Curti
Project Title: TWO-POINT PERSPECTIVE COURTHOUSES OF THE FUTURE
Using two-point perspective, students have designed various images focusing on the facade of a courthouse of the future.
Principal: Burnedette Drysdale
Teacher: Gloria Adams
Project Title: GREEN COURTHOUSES OF THE FUTURE
Inspired by futuristic and historic architecture and with a resolve to create green infrastructure, CCMA students created models of sustainable courthouses of the future.
Teacher: Laura Blau
Project Title: INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED PROMPTS
Students at FSSA had the option to choose their own prompt from the four possibilities. Some chose to focus on “Fair Use” cases while some explored the naturalization process and were inspired by personal and family stories of gaining citizenship. Some who are interested in design or architecture chose to explore the Courtroom of the Future. Some students sign for the Jury Duty ad prompt.
Principal: Maximillian Re-Sugiura
Teachers: Madhulika Singh and Gerald Rabel
Project Title: FUTURISTIC COURTHOUSE DESIGN
With this project, six groups of 4 were tasked to create a courthouse that broke away from common belief. The students were entrusted with the creative expertise to reinvent such a stern structure bound to tradition. The term “futuristic” is not bound to the neo-futuristic sci-fi aesthetic it is usually associated with, futuristic is a much broader term as we don’t know what the future holds. Each person has a different vision of the future, and groups have combined these ideas to construct clever complex courthouses that retain the fundamental principles that the court must respect. Students showcased their hand drawn concepts and process diagrams along with their technical skills in AutoCad and model making to illustrate their final design.
Principal: Maximillian Re-Sugiura
Teachers: Matt Lassen
Project Title: BEATRICE GOES TO COURT: THE PURPOSE OF JURY SERVICE ZINE
Students worked in a group to make a collective black and white zine to show the steps and benefits of jury service. They researched and wrote their narratives while creating full page and spot illustrations to accompany their text. Their work is completed traditionally and digitally using pen and ink and screen tones. The zine was laid out in Adobe Photoshop and printed in the High School of Art and Design copy room. Each zine is folded and bound painstakingly by the group.
Principal: Maximillian Re-Sugiura
Teachers: Matt Lassen
Project Title: NATURALIZATION CEREMONY COURTROOM MURALS
Kailei Leo-Farol created a three-part courthouse mural based on the naturalization process and ceremony. Kailei worked in oil paint on Masonite boards measuring 4 feet wide by 3 feet tall. The mural is inspired by their family members’ journey to citizenship. Actual photos from Kailei’s family were used to reference one of the panels. Kailei hopes the paint is dry.
Principal: Maximillian Re-Sugiura
Teachers: Matt Lassen
Project Title: FAIR USE CASES COMIC PAGES
Students reviewed each fair use case and worked in groups to research their case. They broke the case into parts and wrote narratives for their individual comics based on their research. Each group worked on a unified color or rendering scheme based on unique aspects of their case. Everyone worked to tell their narrative visually and sequentially through their own comic page. Everyone’s comic page came together to tell the whole story of the case. Students worked traditionally in pen and ink, ink wash and digitally with grey tones and fully rendered in color. Each comic is printed and lettered in Adobe Photoshop.
Teachers: Adam Gordon
Project Title: PATHWAYS
Students created mural designs about the naturalization process for a courthouse. Through personal interviews with people who have gone through the naturalization process, students learned about the different steps of becoming a citizen of the United States. The murals reflect both the different parts of naturalization as well as individual stories from the people students interviewed.
Teachers: Hannah Arroyo Rivera
Project Title: MURALS ABOUT US
Students were challenged to represent their personalities, emotions, and cultures to create a mural design that could be seen in a courtroom. Students first looked towards the collaborative artists who created the murals at the Milwaukee County Courthouse as their main source of inspiration. Students took inspiration from the bright vivid colors from Nayfa Naji’s mural expressing her Arabic culture and equality as well as LUNA exploring Lady Justice through butterflies and nature to increase Latinx artist representation. Other students were driven to create art with the theme of inner peace and beauty inspired by Black Paint Studios and others wanted to showcase taking care of our Earth when viewing the mural of Scott Hill. Each student took a unique approach to playing around with imagery, symbolism, and art materials as a collaborative effort to celebrate their individuality. A wide variety of mediums were available for students to use- pencils, pens, markers, colored pencils, pastels, watercolor paint, acrylic paint markers and collage. From creating sketches to looking at reference photos, each student created drawings, paintings and collages surrounding our topics: freedom, love, peace, and our individual cultures living here in the Bronx.
Teachers: Amie Robinson, Sarah McDowell, and Katherine Marte
Project Title: WELCOME TO AMERICA!
Welcome to America! was inspired by the students’ experience attending a naturalization ceremony. Artists designed public works of art, both murals and mosaic floor designs, to make new citizens and their families feel welcomed at the courthouse. The designs are also informed by each artist’s own unique family story and heritage.
Teachers: Michael Young
Project Title: PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP
This year, our students decided to create courthouse murals featuring the pathway to citizenship. We attended a naturalization ceremony at the Moynihan Courthouse in April, where we witnessed 163 people from 51 countries receive their United States citizenship. Afterwards, we spoke to the judge who presided over the ceremony about his life experiences and career. Students drew upon their independent research and this field trip to help inspire their original artwork.
Teacher: Melissa Nakos
Project Title: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, OUR STORIES OF NATURALIZATION
Students attended a naturalization ceremony in March 2024. Challenged with the idea of creating a composition that embodied this ceremony, they interviewed people close to them that have gone through or were currently going through the process. The focus was to find a word that represented their experience. Using a light source, students experimented light painting these words with long shutter speeds on digital cameras. With their skills in Adobe Photoshop, they digitally created compositions that layered photographs, light painted words and other imagery. Overall, the students collectively felt that the naturalization process was not just about obtaining American citizenship but was also about the emotions and the experiences that came with the process.
2023 THEODORE ROOSEVELT U.S. COURTHOUSE (BROOKLYN)
Teacher: Rachel Levine
Project Title: NATURALIZATION PROCESS
Teacher: Gordon Baldwin
Project Title: PATHWAYS TO CITIZENSHIP
Principal: Bernadette Drysdale
Teacher: Gloria Adams
Project Title: ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS FOR A FUTURE COURTHOUSE
Principal: Bernadette Drysdale
Teacher: Chris Curti
Project Title: VARA & NATURALIZATION
Teacher: Laura Blau
Project Title: EXPLORING THE VISUAL RIGHTS ACT, COURTHOUSE DESIGN AND THE PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP
Principal: Maximillian Re-Sugiura
Teacher: Matt Lassen
Project Title: PATHWAYS TO CITIZENSHIP
Principal: Maximillian Re-Sugiura
Teachers: Andrew Bencsko & Chris Spaterella
Project Title: CELEBRATING THE VISUAL ARTISTS RIGHTS ACT (VARA) OF 1990
Teacher: Adam Gordon
Project Title: OUR STORIES, OUR JOURNEYS
Teacher: Michael Young
Project Title: DESIGNING THE JUDICIARY
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