New York City Public Schools student artwork is lining the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art through Oct. 26 after P.S. Art 2026: Celebrating the Creative Spirit of NYC Kids kicked off on June 16 with a celebration in Times Square.

Fifty artworks created by NYC students in grades pre-K through 12th grade were chosen from the 125 pieces currently on display at the museum to be part of a two-week digital display that lit up the Cube at Times Square’s Duffy Square for millions to see from June 16-30.

Student works ranged in art mediums — including paintings, sculptures, paper collages and pencil drawings — expressing a variety of themes including self portraits, political activism and emotional reflections on what it means to be a child growing up in NYC.

Nearly 1,000 submissions were reviewed by a panel of distinguished members of the New York City art community, including staff at the Met.

The exhibit at the Met is currently on display at the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, which can be accessed as part of regular museum admission. 

NYC Public Schools and Studio in a School, which have been coordinating the initiative for 24 years, hosted a grand unveiling of the digital display in Times Square on June 16. Students were joined by friends and family for a brief ceremony ahead of the 11 a.m. reveal on the 2,028 square foot screen, which received a wave of applause.

The digital art display was supported by the Times Square Advertising Coalition (TSAC), Outfront Media and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

“Our mission is to ensure that Times Square remains the most colorful and vibrant commercial district on the planet,” said Mitchell Schwartz, chairman of the TSAC and vice president of government affairs at Outfront Media. “That’s where our amazing New York City students come in.”

Not only does the initiative bring new perspectives to viewers, but it helps provide children with an opportunity to pursue creative projects that make New York a celebrated epicenter of the arts.

One student, Ava Jett, whose artwork was chosen for the display said the support she received from her family and educators throughout the entire experience helped reassure her of her talent.

Ava, a third-grade student from P.S. 133, the Bellerose School of Excellence in Bellerose, said her art teacher instructed the class to make an image of someone important to them. Ava decided to create a portrait of her mother out of paper.

Ava Jett, a third-grade student from P.S. 133, the Bellerose School of Excellence in Queens, delivered remarks during the June 16 ceremony.Photos courtesy Tom McCavera

She said the experience made her head spin, and it felt strange to see her work displayed in Times Square. It was her first time entering a competition of this magnitude, which she said gave her butterflies in her stomach.

“I was really scared people wouldn’t like what I made or that I wasn’t good enough,” Ava said. “But I didn’t give up.”

She said her parents and teachers kept encouraging her and telling her to believe in herself. Because of them, Ava continued, she found the courage to push through her fear and enter her art anyway.

“I won in a way that I never, ever dreamed of,” she said to the crowd during the June ceremony. “I learned that even when you are scared, you should always try your best. Most of all, I know that using my God-given gifts will always bring great things into my life.”

According to Sara Egan, educator in charge of teaching and learning at the Met, it’s a privilege for the community to be able to view the world through the lens of students.

“Your art gives us a new perspective on the world,” Egan said to students. “It’s so important to see through the eyes of New York City students so we can learn what’s important to you, what matters to our city and where we’re going in the future.”

Paul Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the arts office at NYC Public Schools, said the timing of the exhibit was special at a time when the World Cup is in full swing and the United States is celebrating its 250th anniversary.

“We’ve got more people coming here than any other time of the year just to celebrate art and culture,” he said to students. “Your voice is represented here in this public square.”

Maggie Bordonaro, chief program officer at Studio in a School, said at a time when funding is being cut from art education across the city, the exhibit helps assure every student has access to high quality visual arts education.

“If you have not visited the exhibit yet — run, don’t walk,” Bordonaro said. “I guarantee you’ll feel inspired by the power of the young artists’ self expression and reaffirm your own belief in the importance of nurturing their time.”

The P.S Art 2026 works on view in Times Square also will be exhibited at the Authority Midtown Bus Terminal Art Gallery, located at 625 8th Ave. and 40th Street near the 9th Avenue end of the terminal. The date and time for the exhibition is to be determined at a later date.

Some of the student artists whose work was chosen to be displayed in Times Square.Photos courtesy Tom McCavera