The Hofstra University Museum of Art (HUMA) collaborated with Uniondale High School this spring for its first inaugural HUMA STARS (Student Art Representatives) program, a multi-session experience for teens.
HUMA STARS encourages students to have meaningful connections with the museums and art galleries in their communities. In addition to viewing art, the students learn about a variety of careers they may want to pursue in the arts. They were introduced to a wide range of museum operations, including curation, exhibition planning, community outreach, and educational programming.
Fifteen students taking AP Art and Design at Uniondale High School with teachers Brianna Jacobs and Claude Blue participated in HUMA STARS. The program involved four visits to Hofstra’s campus between January and April 2025. Sessions complemented what was being taught in class. For example, one session focused on “Sustained Investigation,” which prompts students to find artistic inspiration in real-life themes and create art in diverse mediums.
Activities included:
A visit to HUMA’s spring and summer 2025 exhibition, EVERY body, EVERY mind: Honoring the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Attendance at a “museum professions panel” that included HUMA Director Sasha Giordano; Mike O’Connor and Debra Willet from Hofstra Special Collections; Hofstra student and HUMA gallery assistant Ryan Ketterer; and Hofstra Graduate Assistants Tessa McCain and Aimee Leon. The panel was followed by a tour of HUMA’s collection storage area with Assistant Director of Exhibitions and Collections Presley Rodriguez.
An opportunity for the students to have their “Sustained Investigation” artwork critiqued by Hofstra Fine Arts Professor Jim Lee.
A tour of Ketterer’s studio space in Calkins Hall, where they learned about his process and reviewed the promotional materials and artist statement he created for a recent student exhibition. Ketterer, who was recently inducted into Hofstra’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, graduated this spring with a major in art history.
“The HUMA STARS experience was invaluable,” said Jacobs. “Our students felt at home at the museum, where they were given the freedom to explore different kinds of art, learn about career paths, and gain feedback on their own work. We’re grateful for such a well-rounded program and for the staff and students who made it special.”
HUMA Director of Education Amy Solomon said, “The Uniondale students represent the future of the arts. They are inquisitive, socially conscious, and engaged in multiple creative outlets. We tried to teach them through the HUMA STARS program that there are many ways for their voices, talents, and interests to be heard and represented.”
To celebrate the success of HUMA STARS, the museum and the Uniondale Art Society are curating an art show that will be available for viewing online.
The collaboration between HUMA and Uniondale High School will continue during the 2025-2026 academic year and is expected to expand to other local school districts. For more information, contact amy.g.solomon@hofstra.edu.
The HUMA STARS program exemplifies the University’s dedication to community engagement, a pillar of the Hofstra 100 strategic plan announced last year by President Susan Poser.