The Urban Arts Initiative:
Noah Purifoy Assemblage Art Program
Markham Middle School students and Side Street Project Teaching Artist pose in front of Noah Purifoy’s “San Fransisco Oakland Bay Bridge” art piece at the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum in Joshua Tree.
In 2023, Side Street Projects partnered with the Noah Purifoy Foundation to launch the “The Urban Arts Initiative: Noah Purifoy Assemblage Art Program.” This program is a middle school-based curriculum that connects South Los Angeles students to the rich legacy of the artist Noah Purifoy, an important figure of the assemblage art movement in Los Angeles.
Photo Courtesy of the Noah Purifoy Foundation.
Photo Courtesy of the Noah Purifoy Foundation.
Our program utilizes Noah’s philosophy of creativity as a tool for students' creative, intellectual, and emotional growth. It bridges the gap between the past and the future by connecting young students to their community’s history and how it influenced Noah.
Program flow:
Assemblage Art Lesson One: Side Street Projects Teaching Artists meet the students in their classroom. Together, they review Noah Purifoy’s innovative artworks and legacy, examining how the assemblage art practice plays a vital role in our past and present times. Students then forage for art-making materials on their campus that will be used for Art Lesson Three.
Assemblage Art Lesson Two: Building on Art Lesson One, students then board a charter bus to travel to Noah Purifoy’s Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art, located in Joshua Tree, CA. Students are guided through the outdoor museum with Side Street Project’s Teaching Artists, who utilize games, group breakout sessions, and discussion to promote a deeper understanding of Noah Purifoy’s works and legacy. During a catered lunch, students reflect on their aspirations as young artists and how they see their art practice within their communities. If time permits, students also visit Joshua Tree National Park and Watts Towers.
Assemblage Art Lesson Three: At this point, back in their classrooms, students utilize the experience and materials they have forged in Art Lessons one/two to create their assemblage art piece. The goal is to promote the use of art assemblage practice as a tool to tell their stories and create dialogue with their peers and community about matters that are vital to them and their life experience. This is followed by a group discussion and an in-class close-out ceremony to honor their creative contributions.
