A Smaller and More Independent Gallery...

There are tons of galleries around Rochester!  I highlighted the new sculpture Park at the Memorial Art Gallery recently, which most folks know about. If you're looking for a more independent feel check out the 1975 Gallery which is located where the old Little Bakery was downtown. Often as seasons and shows change they transform the inside as well as the outside of the building. Take the time to see the video here.

Up and Coming Around Rochester!

Have you driven by the Memorial Art Gallery to see the changes lately? They've taken down the dark and dreary black fence, and they have replaced it with a dynamic and interactive sculpture park.  It's not finished yet, but the transformation is pretty amazing to watch! Here's some photos and miniatures that have assisted in the planning phase.

Here's a quick video about Wendell Castle (the top image) who is working on what's coming to Centennial Sculpture Park next. He generally works on indoor sculptures, and he's been working intentionally to consider all the factors that will need to be considered for an outdoor sculpture. Check it out! 

Soapstone

Soapstone, known as steatite, is a metamorphic rock formed by the compression of talc, quartz and other impure minerals in the earth over millions of years. The Inuit people have used it as a sculptural medium as seen in the images below. The Inuit sculptures often reflected the values and history of their people.

Soapstone has been used for multiple purposes such as cooking pots in India and raised stamps for clay by the Egyptians and Babylonians.  Today, we can find soapstone used for industrial uses such as countertops, toys, a filler in paint, cleaning compounds and cosmetics. Sculpture and Mixed Media A students created these small scale sculptures in soapstone based on the work of the Inuit artists. They were free to choose content that was relevant to their lives today. Students made a range of small scale sculptures, pendants, and even a candle holder.

The color variation is due to the different minerals that appear in the stone itself.  Students filed, sanded and polished, but they never really knew what the color would be until it was almost completed. The dust has settled, and now we are getting to work on relief printmaking. 

Mixing it up

Mrs. Reinert and I had an opportunity to collaborate with Mrs. Nelan recently as we connected Kafka's Metamorphosis and the Surrealist movement in art. We discussed how thought processes are similar as we create, approach and make meaning in both literature and art.

We also found some more modern adaptations of Surrealism and discussed that cultural literacy is essential to understand the fullness of meaning in art and society.

Thanks Mrs. Nelan for giving us an opportunity to meet some new students and also see some of our past and present art students in a new context.  It's always good to see how the different things that occur in school eventually merge and become part of a more fluid and bigger context.

Trivia

I'm excited today because I just looked at the data page that states where the people who visit this blog come from. This page has had now had at least 6 visitors from Germany and Russia! I love the fact that we can put this work out into the world and share the excitement that comes with creating new things.  So, dear students, if your work has been exhibited on this site, you can now say that your work has been viewed internationally!

So, although this is an older piece done by a student a few years ago, it is a visual that echoes how I feel today.  It blows my mind that people from all over the world would take the time to view the work of some talented students in a small high school in the United States. Thank you for your support.

Welcome Back!

I can't believe how quickly September is coming to an end! New classes are starting up, and I'm getting to know all my wonderful students. I'm excited to see what they are going to create, and new pieces will begin to pop up on this site in the coming weeks.

For now, this a an amazing light made from soda can tabs as deigned by Rachel, a junior who was in my Sculpture and Mixed Media A class last year. She's had quite a few offers to purchase this, but it's one of a kind!  Sorry, it's not for sale! I love the reflections this makes!

May the 2012-13 school year be one full of creative pursuits as innovative ideas are given new life through action and doing. I will continue to add to these pages and I hope that you'll feel free to make comments.

Take some time to enjoy the beauty all around you. Slow down enough to notice the little things. You, as an artist, have the ability to breathe new life into the otherwise inconsequential stuff of life. Your vision is unique and valuable. Have the confidence to share it! And if you don't... I just might!

Cool Opportunities Coming Up!

Shhhh.... Don't tell Ms. Scherer-Reinert I told you this, but she has an art opening coming up!

Another unique event I just heard about tonight is, "Canstruction Rochester."  Check out the link. It's a construction competition that seems to be hosted locally by a bunch of architecture firms that seeks to benefit families in need. The next meeting is on July 17th at Bausch and Lomb Wintergarden at 5:30. The 2011 winner (and yes, that's all made of cans of food!):

Public Art

Have you ever noticed those big grey electric boxes that have been painted near some of the Irondequoit Traffic lights? I'm guessing you didn't notice them until they were painted! There is one near Cooper Deli and a few surrounding Irondequoit Plaza and another near the corner of Hudson and Titus... Well, maybe your design idea or sketch can change the face of this one little corner of town. Check this out!

The community has a unique opportunity to help plan the re-painting of the mural for the Silver Traffic Box at the corner of Cooper Road and Titus Avenue.

COME FOR THE WORKSHOP:

• WEDNESDAY JULY 11TH,  6 PM
• I-SQUARE VISIONS GALLERY/ 693 TITUS AVENUE
• ART MATERIALS & REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED
• NO ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
• COME HAVE FUN............

Summer Reading

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from a student last week letting me know that she's been checking up on this blog, and she noticed that there haven't been any recent updates.  It's summer, so there are less updates to give! I'm still here, though... and apparently so are you!  I'll get writing!

To hold you over for a bit here is a summer reading suggestion. Some background: I read this book because I came across it in a blog from a local art teacher who I really respect a lot. Most of our IHS art students drool over his kids work every year at the Art Shakedown!  He lives in Irondequoit, so we are all basically connected, right? So, based on Todd Stahl's suggestion, I highly recommend this book!  It's an easy read that you'll fly through quickly--- and then you just might want to slow down and digest it for a tiny bit longer!  

When I read it this past weekend I found that it's everything an art teacher would want to share with his or her students about life and the challenges that come with doing art and being human.  The book is called, "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom." Check it out! It will give you insights to live by that will make your life fuller, happier and better if you adopt any the philosophies of the book that resonate with you.  

Critique Day Coming Up!

We're coming down to the last few days of classes.  Today I took down the display case for the last time this year. Strangely, I think I've heard more sighs of disappointment from kids (because art classes will be over) than I've heard squeals of glee that school is almost out!  I actually had one student ask if she could keep coming in to continue working over the summer!  I'm so thrilled to see student enthusiasm, and I'm so proud of what these great folks have accomplished this year!  I will miss seeing your faces this summer!

Soapstone from Sculpture and Mixed Media A Classes:

My Studio in Fine Arts class has "wowed" me this semester!  Students in this class can range from grades 

9-12, but these are mostly freshmen in this mix. These students gridded photographs of themselves, friends, idols or relatives and were given the challenge to create a monochromatic painting that showed a full range of values.  Wow!  I'm amazed at the growth!

Special note to the folks who did the work above.... Take Drawing and Painting A!

I'll be busy working my way out of the grading piles, but I plan to post more images of progress soon!

As Promised, Arts Festival Updates

So I had my students answer two questions today as they gave me feedback about the arts festival. 

First Question:

"What did you do or experience at the arts festival that you most appreciated?"

The students listed no less than 28 different favorite things!

 Some of the most popular items included Thunderbody, a fantastic band that continued to make music later that evening at Ribfest after already doing two one-hour sets in the 90 degree heat of the arts festival.  Henna tattoos, the dunk tank (where students could dunk their teachers), the drum circle, face painting, screen printed bandanas, watching the progress of  the Visiting Artists throughout the day, and pottery were also among the 28 favorites.

Thunderbody

Rocket Launch (Physics Students)

Skateboarding demonstrations

Pottery lessons were run mostly by our students!

FYI... Those of you who used the wheel at the festival please pick up your fired work anytime after June 4th from art room 1150 so that you bring it home.  We only had a few of your name markers

blow away in the wind, so yours should be waiting for you until June 15th. 

After that, I make no guarantees that your work will still be here. 

Ed Keegan from Rhythm Connect in Fairport led students in a drum Circle. 

I love the looks of complete concentration!

Our food services staff found a Medal Winning ice sculptor who was

willing to share his talents with us!  

The second question I asked students was:

"What would make the arts festival better next year?"

My favorite response.... Sprinklers! If it's 90 degrees again... I can certainly make that happen.  AWESOME idea!!! Students also suggested more food, more art activities to participate in, more shade and less heat. I'll talk to Mother Nature about that! There were also some practical considerations that I will put into place based on student responses to minimize time spent waiting in lines.  

Thanks again to all the students, staff, sound crew, maintenance staff, security personnel, outdoor maintenence crews, PTSA, music staff, and many others who made the event such a success.  

What a great community to work with! 

Arts Fest!

Arts Festival is an opportunity to show kids from all aspects of life that art is fun, approachable, and something for everyone.  It relates to all disciplines, and it can enrich, entertain, empower, amaze and inspire.   The weather stayed beautiful and we had an AWESOME day of art, music, sunshine, food, creativity, and community. Thanks to all of our student volunteers who made this day so successful!  You were really an amazing team!  Unfortunately, some of our students were running around getting work done even as we took this photo. 

I know more photos will be coming, but I wanted to post just a few. Thanks to the whole school community who came together to make such a great event possible! And thank you West Irondequoit PTSA for funding our visiting artists and musicians.

 

Our Henna table earned $146.00 to purchase emergency art supplies for Wilson Commencement, who had a fire that burned their art room to the point of making it unusable last week.  Wilson students and art staff lost thousands of dollars in art supplies, student work, along with years worth of treasures and lesson plans.   Our hearts go out to the students and teachers there who are mourning losses and needing to rebuild.