A special talent creates a Red Hook institution, by Halley Bondy

When Tshawn attended PS 27 elementary school, his mother Tiffiney Davis was concerned about his future. She lacked financial resources and lived in a Red Hook neighborhood full of pitfalls for young African-American men, she recalls. Moreover, Tshawn seemed to have trouble communicating with people.

When school volunteer Deirdre Swords approached her with the harebrained idea of teaching art to her 9-year-old in an afterschool setting, Tiffiney was skeptical.
“She told me Tshawn was a talented artist, and that drawing would help him express himself,” Tiffiney said. “At first I didn’t understand. I thought he needed to do more reading and writing. Where I come from, drawing didn’t get you anywhere.”

Tiffiney took the plunge, however, and she is thankful she did. Because of his work with Swords, Tshawn not only learned how to express himself, he learned how to compile a portfolio that eventually landed him at the prestigious Edward R. Murrow High School. Now, he’s painting, drawing, and working on his own clothing line at F.I.T. college.

It’s an incredible success story for the books – but it didn’t stop at Tshawn.

After working with him, Swords – who has an MFA in fine art – was inspired to help more kids in the Red Hook area who have serious talent, but who lack the resources and information to get into good schools. Arts education is well known to be linked to academic achievement in other subjects, yet it’s often marginalized in public education.

“Few schools in the area offer any in-depth training, or they tend to be chaotic,” Swords said. “At best it’s distracting, and at worst it can derail everything for kids who are really interested in art.”

Over the past decade, Swords has been developing the Red Hook Art Project (RHAP), an afterschool and weekend non-profit program dedicated to artsy, at-risk kids. Currently, about 20 students are enrolled in the program aged 8-17 learning fine art, music, writing, and more with the help of 10 volunteers. Classes are usually between six and eight students, and include everything from portfolio-building to screenprinting to creating gallery shows. Homework help in various subjects is also available.

RHAP isn’t a one-off program; volunteers follow kids through the years to make sure they stay on track and navigate the tricky New York City school system successfully. The results are outstanding. Because of RHAP, four more students got into Edward R. Murrow High school this year alone, with one more hoping to transfer.

“It’s very uplifting to experience the students’ joy when they make art,” Swords said. “It’s something they have a tendency to do, but they haven’t been able to find the space and time to do it. When they’re given that, the joy just pours out of them.”

RHAP is located in a small storefront at 183 Richard Street. Tuition is free with a $25 optional monthly donation.

As managing director, Tiffiney Davis– yes, Tshawn’s mom – is RHAP’s sole employee. Inspired by her own son’s story, she now develops RHAP’s network of students, parents, and volunteers on a full-time basis.

“I wanted to share what I experienced with other parents who also are also low income,” she said. “I want to show people that it opens doors.”

Not everyone can join this seemingly utopic program, however. There is an application process. Students have to demonstrate a serious passion for art or music, and they need to show examples of work they’ve done. If they pass, students undergo a month-long trial period to determine whether or not they can adapt to the classes; the volunteers aren’t trained to handle special needs, very disruptive, or extremely distractible students.

However, if your kid is the next Tshawn, head to redhookartproject.org for more information.

“I’ve watched my son blossom dramatically within the last couple of years, and I’m so proud of him,” Tiffiney said. “This program can help change kids’ mindsets and help them build healthier relationships. Students are really happy about it. That’s what keeps me going seven days a week.”