Asa Miller, Greenburgh's First Youth Poet Laureate
appointed to a two year term beginning September 13th, 2023!
left to right: Asa Miller, Greenburgh's First Youth Poet Laureate; Harmony Hopwood, one of Westchester County's two Youth Poets Laureate; BK Fischer, Westchester County's first Poet Laureate; and Sarah Bracey White, Greenburgh's Director of Cultural Affairs immediately after Asa's inauguration.
The Town of Greenburgh’s Arts and Culture Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of 16-year-old Asa Miller of Hartsdale to a two-year, non-paying position as Greenburgh’s first Youth Poet Laureate. His term of office will run from September 2023 until September 2025. His official induction will take place at a 6:30 pm reception at Greenburgh Town Hall prior to the Town of Greenburgh’s Board Meeting on September 13, 2023. The reception is open to the public.
In this distinguished position, Mr. Miller will develop opportunities for young people in Greenburgh to undertake the creation of original poetry and share that work with the community in a variety of ways. “I want to get the diverse community of Greenburgh teens excited about poetry,” says Mr. Miller.
Asa Miller is a junior at Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School where he is an honor student. He has been writing poetry since he was eight years old when his poem Fishkill Farms won his entire class an all-expense paid trip to Fishkill Farms where they ate donuts, picked apples, and drank cider. Last year, he was selected as one of several 10th graders to attend the 2023 Young Author’s Conference for Westchester and Putnam Counties.
"I integrate my love of poetry into my other interests like science and music and even sports,” says Mr. Miller. “I find these disciplines are not only enriched, but also better communicated by the beauty and lyricism of poetry.”
Greenburgh’s new Youth Poet Laureate’s well-rounded resume includes being an international, award-winning classical pianist, a film maker, and a Lacrosse player with Edgemont’s varsity team and with True Lacrosse Westchester.
###
Kristina Schmidt, recipient of the Arts and Culture Committee's
"2023 Individual supporter of the Arts Award"
Armed with a master’s degree in Creative Expression, Kristina Schmidt paired that degree with her passion for painting and community in 2019 when she founded Art XO Studio, an Irvington art center. There, she offers a variety of classes, workshops, private parties and art camps. She also creates a wide variety of new works in acrylic & oil paint, clay, plaster, resin, fiber, and wood.
Kristina has made everything from candles to private-commission paintings, parade floats, musical band set designs, a life-sized gingerbread house and even a mosaic staircase. She sees each challenge as an opportunity to learn a new skill, which drives her creativity. In 2022, she mounted a multimedia exhibit of her work at Greenburgh Town Hall.
During the summer of 2023, Kristina designed and implemented the Bulldog Gallery public art project on the streets of Irvington, NY. She learned to work with resin and fiberglass to mold, cast, unmold, saw, patch, sand and prime the 20 bulldogs she created for the project. Then, she engaged local artists to paint the three-foot tall bulldogs in individual styles. When necessary, she even assisted artists who had never before engaged in creating anything like the Bulldog Project. Those colorful Bulldogs adorned the streets of Irvington and elicited the interest and appreciation of passersby who encountered them in various about-town locations. Visitors to the town and locals posted their pictures with the Bulldogs to Instagram. Some of the Bulldogs were sponsored by local businesses.
Kristina and her husband Aaron Schmidt are the parents of daughters Angelica and Natalie, who assisted Kristina on the Bulldog project. They also have one son.
Kristina Schmidt's inaugural efforts to bring public art to the streets of Irvington help make Greenburgh a vibrant, artistic community.
One River Hartsdale, School of Art + Design
recipient of the Arts and Culture Committee's
"2023 Organization Supporter of the Arts Award."
One River Hartsdale School of Art+ Design
One River School® of Art + Design is part of a nationwide art program in 15 communities across the US. They opened their Hartsdale branch in 2018. One River School is an inclusive community that provides a contemporary art space for classes, workshops, and camps. They have developed a unique method for teaching art and digital design classes to people of all ages and all levels. Meghan Joseph is the director of the Hartsdale location.
At One River School, students have fun learning to create and produce compelling art. An exhibit of work by students of various ages who were enrolled in the summer camp program at One River School has been on exhibit in the Town Supervisor’s Gallery at Greenburgh Town Hall since September. The exhibit will remain on display until November 2nd.
Most recently, One River School has partnered with the Town of Greenburgh and Greenburgh Nature Center to organize a Greenburgh Artists and Craftsmen Market which will take place next spring at one of Greenburgh’s public parks. This event is dedicated to promoting and championing local artisans and fostering a deeper appreciation for the creative process within our community. Additionally, residents will have the unique opportunity to participate in art classes led by One River instructors.
In appreciation of One River Hartsdale's Director Megan Joseph's support and interest in bringing art to everyone in our community, it is our pleasure to present her and One River School - Hartsdale the Arts and Culture Committee’s "2023 Organization Supporter of the Arts Award.”
