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The new program, dubbed ‘7eventytwo’ and hosted by the Church Street School for Music and Art, tailors to neighborhood teens seeking to draw, play music, and pursue other types of art once the school day ends. The programming will be housed in the Church Street School’s new center at 72 Warren St., adjacent to its main building at 74 Warren St.
Currently, the 7eventytwo space, which features with 16-foot-high ceilings and measures 1200 square feet, is being used for members-only concerts and film screenings. But it can easily be converted into an art classroom with the addition of tables and supplies, according to 7eventytwo Curriculum Co-designer Azikiwe Mohammed, a program director at the Church Street School.
Put aside the tables and add some chairs and the room transforms back into a theater for film viewings, explained Mohammed’s colleague, Z Behl. A former student at the Church Street School, Behl studied film design at Wesleyan University and has worked on music videos for bands such as “MGMT” and “Sunny Day in Glasgow” as well as the 2012 Sundance award-winning film, “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”
“The point is to take our friends and our artists and bring them back to the community,” explained Behl.
The 7eventytwo programming features musical performances by local bands and Church Street students along with movies made by neighborhood filmmakers. For “Valentines Blow Your Minds,” a 7eventytwo members-only party held on Feb. 10, four popular bands from the area including “Claire’s Diary” and “The Indecent” performed while films made by local directors were projected overhead.
Teens have the chance to ask the artists and performers questions in the setting of a post-film Q&A, according to Mohammed.
Students will also have the chance to practice art on a college level. 7eventytwo’s six, four-week courses in the spring semester cover contemporary topics such as sculpture in fibers, music through technology and beat-building, music video production, graphic design, and legal street art.
The coursework will afford students the opportunity to acquire new techniques under the guidance of neighborhood artists, according to Mohammed.
“[The students] take control of their art,” said Behl. “We just provide the space.”
The program’s emphasis on participation from the local art community reflects the school’s primary mission, according to Church Street School Executive Director Lisa Ecklund Flores.
“The school’s philosophy is that you need to actually engage in art to understand it, then make it your own to develop,” said Flores. “7eventytwois a space for [the students] to learn how to dictate [their art] for themselves.”
Membership at 7eventytwo is $400, which includes enrollment in two of the six courses the curriculum offers per semester as well as free admission to all of the events at 72 Warren St. 7eventytwo members also have unlimited access to the services available at 74 Warren St., including soundproof performance spaces for bands. The first four-week course begins on Tuesday, March 6, and registration closes on Saturday, March 31. On Friday, March 23, the Church Street School will host a members-only release party featuring performances by “Das Racist” and a secret guest. For more information, visit the Church Street School for Music and Art’s website at www.churchstreetschool.org.
