Once known as a home for incorrigible youths, reform school  takes on another meaning in downtown New York, a place where troubled youth is often encouraged to rebel even more creatively. Bringing together the kids to rehabilitate the man, RE:FORM SCHOOL is a pop-up art exhibition, event series, and public awareness campaign for change in the American public education system, in town for the weekend at the now-defunct (but reformed!) St. Patrick Old Cathedral School. Proceeds from the artworks, including those from a winning selection of five chosen through a worldwide online competition prior to the exhibition, will benefit Urban Arts Partners. CYNTHIA ROWLEY AND BILL POWERS. PHOTO BY BILLY FARRELL AGENCY.

"Art has the ability to transcend boundaries," says Yosi Sergant, one of the key coordinators of the event. "Artists can convene ideas otherwise left untouched, and through that, encourage people to challenge our schools, our students and our teachers to nurture talent, creativity and imagination; things that are now treated as expendable." The playground, which served as exactly that for the crowd of over 1000, displayed a 70-foot mural installation by WK Interact of artwork and photos of children from the Harlem Success Academy—which, sadly, will be painted over at the close of the show. Inside, three floors, 15 rooms and countless hallways of the school were filled with works by over 100 artists including Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Ron English, and Maya Hayuk prompting the conversation among guests, and hopefully the nation, about imagination and innovation for the educational structure.