Students Create ‘Expectations’ At Thirteen Gallery

DANBURY — During June, Thirteen Gallery was host to “Expectations,” the conception of 12 emerging young artists who participated this spring in the second annual Art Lab program at The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield.

The exhibition presented, from the varied perspectives of the students, reflections on the effects of self-imposed and societal standards. Much of the work represented the students’ reaction to the external expectations that can displace an individual’s own desires and values.

The students tackled the artistic challenge of original and honest interpretation that discards adolescent stereotypes. Their reflections took the form of 12 individual works of painting, photography, story and sculpture.

“Expectations” was the culminating effort of the 12 artists. Collectively the students were responsible for conceiving the theme, writing the press release, designing the invitation, writing an educational brochure, creating wall text, mounting the exhibition, and, of foremost precedence, creating the pieces on view.

Participating artists were Ben Jura, Jessie McGlasson, Katie Miller, Marlene Pixley, Dave Portanova and Sarah Sampson of Newtown High School, Chelsea Harris of Canterbury School, Laura Hasse of Danbury High School, and Caitie Karnoff, Evy Lutzky, Elizabeth Moe and Eian Weissman of Joel Barlow High School in Redding.

“Expectations” was the follow-up exhibition to last year’s Art Lab exhibition “Home.” In its sophomore year, Art Lab continued to make the manifold aspects of the art professions its focus. Juniors and seniors from the participating high schools attended class with Nina Carlson, the Aldrich Museum curator of education, once a week at the museum since September.

The first semester focused on giving students a “behind-the-scenes” look at the contemporary art world. Students worked with curators, museum directors and gallery owners, and visited artists’ studios and New York galleries in order to learn about career options as well as the fundamentals of mounting an exhibition.

During the second semester, students applied the newfound knowledge to their own work in preparing for the exhibition at Thirteen.