Bird Le'au
Class of 2025
You grew up in LA. How is it living and studying in NYC?
NYC has been amazing. I was expecting it to be the same as LA, but it’s not. It’s SO much better. The city and the vibes are completely different and the art culture is a whole other world.
You have an interest in ASL (American Sign Language) and might even complete a minor in ASL at NYU. Where did that interest start?
I first became interested freshman year of high school when it was offered as a language requirement filler. I fell in love with the culture that surrounded sign language and have wanted to continue to use it as an artist..
How was the Collaborative Arts Jam House?
Probably one of my top experiences: incredibly stressful and exhausting but also SO rewarding. Living for three days in this little space with talented artists and creating entire worlds was exhilarating.
What are some of your favorite experiences and projects that you’ve worked on during your first year in the program?
Probably my short film “GUILT” that I made for my Visual Narratives class. Learning about the camera and then being able to create a film that I was so passionate about was an incredible experience.
Still from Guilt
What advice would you give to an incoming Collaborative Arts student about to begin the program’s core curriculum?
Don’t pigeon-hole yourself into one style of art. I came into Collaborative Arts with an idea of what art I was best in and ended the year with an entirely new opinion on who I was. Be open to learning new things and thriving in those new things. Push yourself in the things you already know you excel in. The minute you stop learning is the minute you stop progressing. My best piece of advice is to KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND HEART.
If you could learn something new, anything, what would it be?
How to fly. Or maybe how to make a good pair of shoes.