Artist Reception: "What's Mine is Yours"

The exhibit titled “What’s Mine is Yours” was born out of the artist’s mission to make high art accessible to the general public. Nina Seigenfeld -Velazquez  is a visual artist, curator and mother of 6 children. For the past two years Seigenfeld- Velazquez has been drawing portraits of people both real and imagined on Post It notes. She posted many of these small drawings on subways, busses and city streets as a way to put her work into the hands of the general public. Seigenfeld- Velazquez wanted to give something back to the city where she was raised and the borough where she has raised her family. In some small way giving art away to the entire community seemed like a thoughtful gift.

The artist says about her work: “I don’t know why I make art. It is just something I have always been compelled to do. I believe that every artist becomes obsessed with some kind of line or form that is often repeated in their work, for me it has always been the curve of the human face. I have made thousands of drawings of men, women and children that I have never known; many exist only in the recesses of my own mind. I enjoy working with materials that are accessible to anyone, post it’s, ball point pens and pencils, office copier paper, etc . In using these materials I feel that I am able to create something extraordinary out of the ordinary everyday objects we take for granted. My mission as an artist, curator and writer is to make art accessible to people who come from a varied set of circumstance. I believe that art has the ability to take human beings to a higher level of consciousness. I hope people are pleased when they stumble upon my tiny portraits.”