Bridges Boats and Water (oh wow!): Celebrating Our Island Surroundings
Over the course of the spring semester students K-3 in Ms. Gundersen, Ms. Panteli and Ms. Cunningham’s classes participated in lessons, trips and exhibits that focused on Staten Island’s rich maritime history and legacy. In classes led jointly by Ms. DB Lampman of Noble Maritime Collection, Snug Harbor, and Ms. Seminara, the students sketched, painted and photographed the bridges, boats and waters surrounding our island, visited the Saint George Ferry Terminal, The Noble Maritime Collection and exhibited their work in the museum’s hyphen from June 3-June 12 and then held a special one day exhibit at the Main Site on June 13, 2011. Made possible through a generous grant from the Council on Arts and Humanities of Staten Island (COAHSI) and the Staten Island Foundation, the students participated in photography sessions, editing and curating their essays, monoprinting workshop, as well as creating works in collage, pen & ink, tempera and wtercolor. The students were visited on different occasions by Ms. Kuwabara of COAHSI, Ms. Edelstein, our network leader, and the Quality Review team, among others, and presented their work with confidence, demonstrating techniques, as well as, discussing content and aesthetic decisions like true professionals. At the close of the final exhibit at the main site, all artists were presented with certificates honoring their accomplishments in visual arts.
