about because it's fun
“Because It’s Fun” reflects the spectrum of work created in five months by elementary students at Near West Intergenerational School in Ohio City. From October 2021 - February 2022, 3rd - 6th grade students at NWIS had the opportunity to work with found object artist, ceramicist, and CIA alum Megan Young (2020) on a variety of multimedia and ceramic projects. They made abstract compositions with scraps of fabric, collaged paper into self portraits, worked with found objects to create collaborative assemblages, and formed clay into wall-hanging sculptures. When asked why they like to make art, many students answered, “because it’s fun!”
The work created in this exhibition was made possible by the TeachArtsOhio grant award from the Ohio Arts Council, and NWIS’s full-time art teacher and CIA alum Nathan Manthey (2016) who provided tremendous classroom support during this program.
meet the teachers
Megan Young
Megan Young is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator living and working in Cleveland (OH). Her work advocates for the value of joy and play in the everyday. She makes found object art, pottery, and weavings. She has exhibited work at galleries throughout Northeast Ohio including Praxis Fiber Workshop, SPACES Gallery and Summit Artspace. She is the recipient of the Fred Walker Writing Prize and the TeachArtsOhio Residency Grant. Young recently completed a five month artist residency at Near West Intergenerational School, Cleveland (OH) and currently teaches private ceramics lessons in Cleveland (OH).
Nathan Manthey
Nathan Manthey is Near West's full-time K-8 art teacher. He graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland (OH) in 2016. He makes drawings. He lives with his wife and his dog in Tremont.