April 3, 2008

Simonds Elementary taps creative sides of tomorrow’s artists

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

A budding art world shined brightly on Simonds Elementary School during the seventh annual “Art from the Heart” student exhibit March 18.

The fourth grade abstract art/mask embellishment display at the Simonds “Art from the Heart” show is always a big draw for attendees. Photos courtesy of Lillian Wong

“My kids, along with all of the other students and parents at Simons, love the Art from the Heart show,” said chair Lillian Wong. “The teachers have been so supportive throughout the year, making time in their busy academic lesson plans for the art lessons.”

Wong’s children, fourth grader Samantha and second grader Nicholas, enjoy creating and showcasing their work at the annual show. “It has always been one of the favorite events at the school.”

Art from the Heart showcases Simonds’ students’ works of art but the Art Vista program is the internal mechanism allowing the creativity to flow. Through the Art Vista curriculum, age-appropriate teaching lessons are provided as well as how-to projects. Facilitated by dedicated parent volunteers—some with art experience, others without—the end product is the children’s’ new appreciation of the creative process and a great exhibit.

All Simonds grades feature six lessons starting in October, running until the show in which students use different mediums to create their own works of art. Masters reproductions like Monet’s “Boats at Agenteuil,” Picasso’s “Guernica” and Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” are used as examples for technique as well as inspiration.

The result is an appreciation of the art mediums as well as a love of creating art. Kindergartners create train collages, clay animals, horses with crayon resist and even self-portraits, among others. First graders learn expressive lines with a Van Gogh lesson. Second graders design and make clay masks.

Art from the Heart is not limited to painting and sculpture; musical talents are also showcased.

Third graders delight in clay action figures, drawing to music and learning West African style printing. Fourth grade students learn abstract art mask embellishment and Picasso Cubist portraiture as well as a Dadism surreal college. Fifth graders venture into American art with marbleized paper, Colonial-period portraits and Revolutionary period charcoal shading. The result is an extravaganza of artistic creation at the “Art from the Heart” show.

Parent and ceramic artist Renee Kauffman is known as the “clay lady.” She’s donated time in the ceramics class for the Art Vista program, helping small hands create the pottery. But the work doesn’t end there. Each piece must be fired once and then again after a glaze is painted, amounting to the creation of hundreds of pieces.

Kauffman is ready to leave her post and training Nicole Myung for the volunteer position of inspiring students with a love of clay. But at the “Art from the Heart” show, the “clay lady” was still helping eager kids create their own unique works of art.

“Opening a kiln load of glazed art pieces is the closest thing to the feeling you get as a child on Christmas morning when Santa has visited your home,” said Kauffman, who helped at the clay-making table at the show. “I can’t express my feelings of how much I will miss this volunteer position. I can only hope I have touched the hearts of others as the children, parents and faculty has touched mine.”

And Simonds staff, parents and kids agree, looking forward to the “Art from the Heart” event every year where the Art Vista program inspires young artists.