In Brookline, Studio Noma hosted a student art show from November 13-22 to raise funds for community members in need, exemplifying how locals are finding their own creative ways to unite the community in an effort to alleviate some of the consequences of the pandemic.
Studio Noma is an art studio dedicated towards helping middle and high school aged students hone their skills as artists, creating works of art for their college portfolio under the instruction of highly trained teachers.
Owner and instructor Hyojin Song began her career as an educator teaching art to middle and high school students. After working for two public schools, she began offering private portfolio lessons, which quickly gained popularity. In 2018, she decided to found Studio Noma, a space where she could better help kids develop their artistic abilities throughout their middle and high school journey. One of Song’s students, who she tutored before she opened the studio, took lessons from the artist from 4th grade until high school graduation.
Song noticed the toll that the pandemic was taking on the Greater Boston community, particularly in low income communities. This became more apparent during the past few weeks, as the daily incidence rate for positive cases statewide has increased from 7.3% in October to 29.4% in November, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Wanting to do something to help, Song was inspired to use her students’ talent as a means to garner financial support for low income children in the area, as well as to spread the message that anyone can find a way to give back. She partnered with two non-profit organizations to develop the studio’s first ever fundraiser.
“It was my first time, so it was a lot of trial and error,” says Song. “I wanted to host something including my students, and I wanted them to experience and learn that you can use your talent to help others.”
Song had trouble at first figuring out what platform to raise money on, and how to incorporate her students’ work. Eventually, she decided to turn the studio’s website towards an ecommerce format, where customers could buy prints, raffle tickets for pottery pieces, and even view the gallery virtually, if in-person viewing isn’t an option.
The art show ended up raising $3,060, all of which will be donated to the non-profits who partnered with the studio for the event, according to Song. The first non-profit, BostonMS, provides all of their funds to low income families and children in Boston that have been affected by COVID-19, according to the group’s website. The second, Cradles to Crayons, helps provide resources to thousands of low income children in MA, according to their site. Neither organization responded immediately for comment.
“I really believed in their mission because I’m a lifelong educator,” says Song, who explains that many children in the community are victims not only to the health consequences of the pandemic, but to the social and economic ones as well. “A lot of families still can’t get a job, and they are suffering…students who come to me are privileged to have extracurricular activities, but there are a lot of students who don’t even have basic needs.”
Song emphasizes that it was important to her to find organizations that were local as a way to show students that poverty and lack of access to opportunity are not problems that are far from home, especially during the pandemic.
“This is a message that we need to start opening up more and being more conscious and aware of our neighbors who are in need,” says Song.
As the pandemic continues to disproportionately impact low-income families and individuals, fundraisers like this showcase how communities are coming together during these unprecedented times to find unique ways of helping one another. Song emphasized that, regardless of how much money is raised, anyone can find a way to help those in need if they try.
“I’m not a famous artist, no one knows about me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything,” says Song. “Fear shouldn’t stop you, even if you raise $100, that’s already helping somebody. It’s a beautiful thing.”
While the in-person show has ended, and the studio has stopped taking donations, the students’ artwork is still available for viewing on the studio’s website at https://www.studionoma.art/fundraiser.
Anna Brosnihan's Blog 