Pharrell Williams and Artists FriendsWithYou Spread Message of Kindness through Art
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale kicked off Miami Art Week with singer and producer Pharrell Williams and the artists collaborative FriendsWithYou, who talked to 200 Broward County middle school students about spreading kindness through art. The talk was presented on December 3, in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition Happy!, which explores the pursuit of happiness in contemporary art and features works by FriendsWithYou and 39 additional artists.
The students, from Sunrise Middle School in Sunrise and Saint Gregory School in Plantation, sang Williams’ hit song Happy, toured the Happy! exhibition and wrote wishes to hang on Wish Trees by artist Yoko Ono that are on view at the Museum. Their participation was made possible through Museum on the Move, NSU Art Museum’s free education outreach program that serves over 4,000 Broward students each year. NSU Art Museum is also a partner of Sunrise Middle School’s Wise Minds Project, an initiative that empowers youth and communities to realize potentials, mental well-being and happiness.
“Art and music are among our most powerful mediums for bringing people and communities together, and the positive messages shared by Pharrell Williams and FriendsWithYou carry special resonance as we approach this holiday season,” said Bonnie Clearwater, NSU Art Museum director and chief curator. “
Pharrell Williams is one of the most creative and influential figures in music, entertainment and design. He has redefined the role of the contemporary recording artist, blazing a trail for other musicians and prominent cultural figures. Williams has earned 10 Grammy Awards and his multimedia creative movement, I Am Other, includes innovative music, fashion, film, television and art endeavors that have global reach and impact.
FriendsWithYou is the artist collaborative comprised of Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III. Influenced by the simple happiness found in everyday life, and with the purpose of spreading the positive message of Magic, Luck, and Friendship™. They work in mediums including painting, sculpture, large-scale experiential installations, live performances, and virtual reality and animation with a mission of cultivating moments of joyous interactions. Forging their own brand of post-pop visual language FriendsWithYou uses mediums like design and limited edition products from a fine art perspective. Their most important artistic tactic to foster interpersonal relationships is the use of play. Sculptures. paintings, inflatables, and objects are meant to trigger neglected yearnings, playfulness, laughter and inquisitiveness, with an end result of feeling connected.
Museum on the Move is an education initiative of NSU Art Museum that serves students throughout Broward County. The program promotes learning and increases engagement with the arts through interactive tours of exhibitions and hands-on art activities that engage students in analytical and independent thinking and incorporate principles of STEAM (science, technology, art, engineering, math) and 21st Century learning skills. Museum on the Move is made possible through the generosity of The Jerry Taylor & Nancy Bryant Foundation, The Amaturo Family Foundation, Inc., Lillian S. Wells Foundation Inc., David and Susan Samrick Foundation, Wege Foundation, Beaux Arts and Friends of NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale.