Seeds of the League Newsletter-July

“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly”
— Langston Hughes

Here at Seeds, we have the pleasure of presenting six new stories by Seeds Scholars, and three new stories from inspirational artists for our July Newsletter. Like many young artists, the scholars consider their future, and the trials and tribulations of being young artistic minds. Read about Laila Whatmore Palmer and how she has always been transfixed by the language of art. Discover Sejung Nam’s moment of realization about what makes him happy, after struggling to fit into American society as a Korean immigrant.

We also have three new inspirational stories from renowned artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Takashi Murakami, and Shirien Damra. Don’t forget to check out Basquiat’s exhibition King Pleasure featuring 200 never before seen works of art by the artist at the Starrett-Lehigh Building.

See you again next month for our August Newsletter!

Sejung Nam

Korean
It was hard for me to figure out what I really loved as a young adult because I had to live as an independent immigrant and was busy chasing after others. I struggled to fit into society and worked like a robot. All the stress and pressure made me tired of everything, thus, I decided to have a moment to think about what makes me happy.

Veronica L. Johnson

Puerto Rican/African American
I want to sell my art to museums, make custom designs for t-shirt companies, and paint murals. I want to showcase how art is supposed to be fun for people and can be depicted in different ways. I want to illustrate this by creating wacky-distorted designs that express the insane mind of an everyday artist.

Jeanette Lin

Chinese
I wish to give back to the effort and support of all my Art teachers both at the League, and the High School of Art and Design through art education, painting, a mix of commercial illustration and fine arts. I want my art to leave others and myself awestruck.

Dana Mayte Wright

Puerto-Rican/Dominican
I honestly don’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t have an interest in the arts, it’s the only thing I have a passion for. In my spare time I research what it’s like to be in certain animation jobs or what’s it’s like to be in art schools like SVA, Cal Arts, etc.

Mathilda Hana Attal

White/Japanese/Tunisian
Although I have felt both mental and physical limitations and boundaries with my artmaking during COVID, which I so often use as therapy or coping, I believe it has also shown I can be resilient in times of extreme un-creativity and boredom.

Laila Whatmore Palmer

White (Irish, Dutch, Scandinavian)
Ever since I can remember, I loved to draw. I was transfixed by the way the lines would inch their way across the paper into a sprawling landscape, a map to a yet undiscovered world. It was a language of its own, and it still is to me. A drawing is like a word that can be read a thousand different ways and still never be completely deciphered.