On Wednesday, April 29, students from the White Plains Youth Bureau’s Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC) participated in a one-day, hands-on workshop with American pop artist and author Michael Albert.

Students had the opportunity to explore his work, hear about his mission, create artwork under his guidance and even take printed posters of his art home.

Albert is most renowned for his “cubist cereal box collages,” which blend sustainability with creativity. However, he was not always involved in the art world.

Albert initially studied business at New York University. His brand of “all natural and organic fruit juices,” “Sir-Real,” reflected both his business background and his playful artistic sensibilities. Founded in 1993, the company aimed to combine art, cereal-inspired puns and quality ingredients into a unique food and beverage business.

However, Albert soon discovered his passion for art while visiting New York City museums. What began as doodles, pen-and-ink sketches and oil pastels eventually evolved into his signature style of “cerealism.”

He coined the term to describe a sustainable art form that uses recycled cereal boxes to create artwork.

“It upset me how much waste we create in our life,” he said.

Many of his pieces offer imaginative reinterpretations of classical masterpieces, such as The Last Breakfast, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

Some of his works take only days to complete; others require months of painstaking effort. Over the past year alone, Albert estimated that he has repurposed more than 700 cereal boxes through his artwork.

Today, he continues to host workshops throughout the tri-state area for youth of all backgrounds, encouraging creativity while emphasizing sustainability and self-expression.

Additionally, his new documentary, “Michael Albert: American Pop Artist,” is set for release, with trailers posted on YouTube.

To learn more about Michael Albert’s work or inquire about hosting a workshop, visit Michael Albert’s official website.