Ages 13–18

Part I - Predatory Marketing and Health Justice
July 17-21, 10AM-1PM
$300

Part II - Gender Stereotypes and Body Image
July 24-28, 10AM-1PM
$300

Register here!

Ever wonder how media and marketing makes us feel like we need to look, think, or act a certain way? Have you considered the possibility that it’s not YOU that needs to change but that you are being targeted by toxic messaging? In this set of week-long workshops, we will focus on deconstructing the narratives and tactics used in advertisements that aim to influence young people. Through the art and process of two-dimensional collage, we will explore creative ways to counteract and reclaim our own stories and sense of self. In addition to learning the basic tools and techniques of collage, we’ll engage in media-literacy and critical-thinking activities, the history of marketing and “guerilla marketing” through images, and open-ended conversations that crack open a new awareness of the messaging that surrounds us. Week One focuses on health justice and addictive substances; Week Two focuses on gender stereotypes and body image. Participants are welcome to enroll in one or both weeks. This workshop was created in partnership with the Healthcare Consortium and Tobacco-Free Action of Columbia & Greene Counties.

Mayuko Fujino

Mayuko Fujino is a self-taught stencil artist based in the Hudson Valley, NY. Inspired by traditional Japanese stencil textile designs, she has been practicing her art since 1999. Her site-specific installation The Inner Garden explored the public bathroom as a democratized alternative art space to start conversations around health and self-care. This concept was developed into an art workshop in 2022 at Art Omi, co-taught with Bryan Zimmerman, focusing on mental health, predatory marketing to youth, youth-led participatory research. She has worked on commissions by the NYC Department of Transportation, NYC Parks, The Atlantic, and Audubon Magazine. She has taught in art programs in New York City public schools as a member of RPGA Studio, a community-based non-profit arts organization.

Bryan Zimmerman

Bryan Zimmerman is a Claverack-based artist, photographer, musician, and educator. From 2001-2017 he co-managed the photography labs and taught photography to undergraduates and Saturday Outreach Pre-College students at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. His multidisciplinary studio work, as well as his day job as Youth Engagement Coordinator for Tobacco-Free Action of Columbia & Greene Counties, explores social determinants of health, environmental justice, public space, and community memory.