Art in Action

Connection and Community with Studio K.O.S.

In the Spring of 2022, a number of Windward Art students took part in a workshop led by Studio K.O.S., an art collective formed in the 1980s by artist Tim Rollins and several of his students. The workshop was led by three original K.O.S. members—Angel Abreu, Jorge Abreu, and Rick Savinon. Tim Rollins and Studio K.O.S. (short for kids of survival), created a powerful body of work that can be seen today in over 120 museums and public collections worldwide including the MoMA, The Tate Modern, and The Art Institute of Chicago. This workshop was significant in that it was the first in-person workshop since Rollin's passing in 2017. The students worked directly with the artists, creating art and exploring the many relations between literature, visual practice, and social/restorative activism.

A public exhibit was on display throughout June and July at O-Town House entitled “The Invisible Man,” which was a partnership between Windward students and Ryman Arts. The work will eventually be included in a larger exhibition of 1,369 individual paintings at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass.

Visual Media & Arts teacher Christina Hendershaw, who worked to spearhead the partnership, noted that the workshop was so successful in part because of the space the artists created to get to know the text. “The time to read, discuss, and reflect was not rushed, allowing the weight of this canonical text to come alive,” said Christina. “The depth of learning and excitement during this process was palpable.”

On July 18 an article about the exhibition was published in the LA Times by Art Critic Christina Catherine Martinez, titled “Studio K.O.S., short for Kids of Survival, brings the art of social justice to L.A.”

Describing her experience in the article, Windward student Anna Jones ’23 shared, “The room felt holy.” She continued, “Our conversations created an electricity and synergy that fueled my mind around the intersections of literature, social justice and visual art. We worked individually, yet it felt communal.”