If you happened to walk by The Scholastic Store in New York City this past week, you may have found yourself stopping to ask, “Who is that artist in the window?”
To commemorate the launch of the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Scholastic and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers selected emerging artist Timothy H. Lee for a week-long art experience known as the Art.Write.Now.POP-UP!, a short-term residency in the front window of The Scholastic Store.
Timothy was hand-picked from a pool of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards alumni applications, based on his creativity and eagerness to take advantage of a free and highly unconventional workspace. After he was chosen, Timothy wasted no time transforming The Scholastic Store window on Broadway into a custom temporary work space. From Sunday, September 29 to Friday, October 4, Timothy sat in the window creating phenomenal art for all passersby to see in real-time.
After he graduated from Wesleyan with a degree in Neuroscience and Behavior, Studio Art and Biology, Timothy switched gears, realizing his dream of being a full-time artist. While his professional path may have shifted, he still incorporates this science background into his own creative process, strongly mimicking the scientific method of observation through research, hypothesis, experiment, analysis (and repeat). Timothy’s artwork falls under major themes involving social issues, his identity as a Korean-American (born in Seoul and raised in NYC) as well as an individual suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. His work organically develops as he paints, resulting in beautifully detailed portraits and tiny “cell” cutouts, which combine for a haunting effect.
During the Art.Write.Now.POP-UP!, Timothy received a celebrity shout-out from actor Nick Cannon and was even featured on FOX 5’s New York Minute TV segment! It was truly a pleasure to watch Timothy’s art transform over this six day period, and to see how Scholastic and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers continue to promote the careers of successful Awards alumni.
Are you interested in submitting to the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards? Follow this link to learn more about the current call for submissions: http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/how-to-enter
