An Exhibition Of

Inspired Artistic Output

By Shannon Hicks

With the transfer of the fifth grade to Reed Intermediate School midway through the school year, one could have turned up at the recent Sandy Hook School Annual Art Show expecting to see a smaller show than usual. After all it was just artwork that had been created by the school’s fourth grade class that was being presented in the school’s art room and hallways on June 12.

A wonderful surprise awaited the parents and friends of this year’s fourth grade class, however. Students presented a show that offered a deeper look into their efforts than had been possible in years past. Each student was represented with a few more works of art in this year’s exhibition, rather than the smaller number possible in the past.

Leslie Gunn’s art room was alive with happy energy and bright colors on Thursday evening, as students eagerly looked for their works in paint, clay, yarn, and more. With parents in tow the boys and girls greeted their teacher and friends while surreptitiously casting an eye around the room, hoping to spy their works.

The scene was similar in the hallways surrounding the art room, where small groups of people scanned the walls to find equally impressive art.

The show included a large number of paintings, and artist’s statements as well as photos of the artists accompanied each.

“Gorgeous Gourds” was one collection of paintings where the students had spent time producing pastel still lifes of nature’s fall harvest. Landscape watercolors were also presented, as were aboriginal “bark” paintings. The latter had students using brown construction paper as their canvas, creating their own versions of nature as a subject matter. The artists began by painting animals in an X-ray style, and then sketched and painted around the animals using the earth tones (ochre, red, brown, and black).

There were clay animal sculptures, the result of research by students that first led to line drawings of their chosen animals before the three-dimensional sculpture was created. Students had also learned the coil method –– rolling “ropes” of clay and then assembling the ropes on top of each other –– in forming their clay coiled ceramic pots. Facemasks made of clay and accented with straw hair were also featured.

Dream catchers of all shapes and sizes and woven God’s eyes were hung from the ceiling, adding another dimension to the show’s presentation.

Those attending the show entered the school through its main entrance, then turned left to head toward the art room’s corridor. As they walked from the front door toward the show a number of handmade Welcome signs guided them towards their goal. One of the largest signs announced, “Art Rocks and The Art Show Rocks!”

The sign was right.