The Developing Artist
The Developing Artist program is made possible with a grant from the Greenwich Alliance for Education. Additional funding for the Developing Artist Program has come from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Office of the Arts (COA), and the National Endowment for the Arts. The program led by Michael Manning and Ben Quesnel and was first piloted at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich. The goal of the program is to give students a broader understanding of what it means to be an artist and to expose young artists to the possibilities of pursuing a career in this field. We do this by bringing a diverse group of professional studio artists into the school to share their work, practices, and experiences with the students. We also make trips to visit artists’ studios, galleries, museums and organizations that support and develop the career of professional artists.
The Greenwich Alliance for Education was launched in 2006 as the local education foundation supporting students in the Greenwich Public Schools. Since our founding we have dedicated $3.0 million to funding innovation, expanding opportunities, and inspiring educators. While progress has been made, our schools are still challenged by a diverse population, a persistent opportunity gap, and constraints on the ability to respond to a rapidly changing world. We believe it is our shared community responsibility to leverage resources and build partnerships to guarantee all students achieve academic success and a promising future. The Greenwich Alliance for Education mobilizes community resources to provide opportunities and services that foster educational success for all Greenwich Public School students. The Alliance believes every child deserves a chance to achieve academic success and reach a promising future.
Michael Manning earned his BFA from the University of the Arts and an MFA from Montclair State University. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Manning has lived in numerous locations including, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and has worked extensively in German and Italy, collaborating with artists Eckhard Zylla and Reiner Gramlic, collectivity known as Six Hand Painting. His artwork has been part of numerous regional and international exhibitions. Solo and group exhibitions in Haus der Kunst Museum in Munich, Germany; Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY; University of Connecticut; Seton Hall University; The Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, CT; New York galleries including Pablo's Birthday and HP Garcia Gallery; Kohler, The Art of Inspiration Project; Red Bull, Kaustner and Partners; W-Hotel, New York, NY and other corporate collections and private collection.
In addition to his studio practice, Michael runs Red Shoe Studios, organizing classes, programs and Social Practice Art projects. The projects are connected to art programs at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Greenwich Public Schools and the Developing Artist Program funded with a grant from the Greenwich Alliance for Education. Additional funding for the Developing Artist Program has come from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Office of the Arts (COA), and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Michael has used his studio practice and method as an educator to create highly engaging successful art programs. He has a unique ability to get young artists to think outside the box and see themselves as emerging artists and problem solvers. He currently is heading the art department at a New York high school where his classes are part of the core academic curriculum.
Ben Quesnel is a multimedia artist and art educator working in Southern, Connecticut. His latest works were exhibited at Satellite Art Fair in Miami, Governors Island Art Fair in New York, and the Seattle Art Fair in Washington. In 2018, he was unanimously selected for a one year residency program with the Clementina Arts Foundation for his social practice project, Undelivered. In 2019, the CAF granted him a seat on the board where he now co-manages the Sprouting Spaces residency program. He has performed public and private installations throughout the tri-state area, and is the co-founder of Sour Milk, a curatorial art project utilizing the latent potential of vacant spaces. Quesnel is a graduate of the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in NYC where he received the Paula Rhodes Memorial Award for outstanding art practice and the School of Visual Art’s Thesis Grant. His work has been in a variety of publications including Bmore Art, Gothamist, Hampton’s Art Hub, Hyperallergic, and the New York Times. Quesnel is exclusively represented by the Alvarez Gallery in Connecticut.
Quesnel’s artwork challenges viewers to apprehend the meanings that have been attached to these objects and to evaluate them with a new understanding. Through his acts of deconstructing, he exposes the inner attachments that one develops with the objects, as they are simultaneously detached from their primary function. Swaying between a definable object and an unreachable thing, Quesnel’s pieces hover between the nameable and unnameable, inviting the viewer to acknowledge that the things with which we surround ourselves will never fully be comprehended.
The Developing Artist team will be conducting interviews with CT based artists in order to give young artists an understanding of different art practices and careers they might want to pursue. Accompanying art lessons will be provided in order to help aspiring artists improve on their art making and art thinking. Through our initiative, The Developing Artist Program has brought over 15 Connecticut based artists into CT public schools and afterschool programs to directly work with young aspiring artists. However, recent circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic have caused us to teach remotely from home. In response, the COA/NEA grant has allowed us the opportunity to enhance our program by providing our learners with virtual artist interviews and workshops that they can do from home. We have also created a website that serves as a database for sharing, organizing and collaborating with the arts and educational community.
