Branchville Elementary School Puts “The City” On Exhibit
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- Category: Education
- Last Updated on Friday, 27 May 2011 20:59
- Written by Terri Garlick
Students from Branchville Elementary School will exhibit artwork in the windows of Fairfield County Bank Insurance Services, 401 Main Street, beginning May 17th. The artwork was created during the Branchville PTA’s enrichment program, Art Connections, and was inspired by the images and energy of city life, as well as three celebrated artists: Red Grooms, Faith Ringgold and Joseph Stella.
“This is the third year we’ve been able to exhibit student work in the community,” says Kristin Healy, a Branchville parent who co-founded the program with BES art teacher, Liz O’Hara. “Art Connections combines existing teacher resources and PTA volunteers to present a common theme and style of art to our elementary students.”
The Branchville PTA, in partnership with the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, trained parent volunteers to present and lead in-classroom discussions of the artists chosen to serve as inspiration. Volunteers incorporated the “Learning to Look” method of talking about artwork, where there are “no wrong answers.” Students from Kindergarten through 5th grade were exposed to the work of Grooms, Ringgold & Stella before creating their own dynamic pieces of art with Mrs. O’Hara.
Kindergarten and 2nd grade students built upon the Red Grooms style of sculptural construction. Kindergarten students used cardboard, paint and paper to create low relief buildings and cars, while 2nd grade students made self-portrait clay busts to be displayed in the street scenes of the Kindergarteners.
First and 4th grade student projects reflect the work of Faith Ringgold. Students used painted transparencies to design windows and then added “quilt” borders, along with a short narrative that connects with the image. First grade students designed windows with themselves looking out, while 4th grade students focused on interior scenes from their own lives. The projects will be displayed together to create larger buildings.
Branchville’s 3rd and 5th grade students created prints that reflect Joseph Stella’s art. Visiting Artist Christopher Shore, from the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, helped students design plates in the style of an etching. They cut and layered contact paper, then experimented with inking a plate. Mr. Shore used a printing press to then print the student plates.
In addition to the exhibit at FCBIS, the Ridgefield Library Children’s Services Department partnered with the Branchville PTA and will display books authored by and about the three inspiration artists from May 15th-31st. Books on display are part of the library’s permanent collection and include The Invisible Princess and Bonjour, Lonnie by Faith Ringgold, and Rembrandt Takes a Walk, illustrated by Red Grooms.
“The Ridgefield Library is very pleased and excited to take part in this cooperative program and we hope it leads to more school/public library tie-ins in the future,” says Geri Diorio, Head of Children’s Services. “Programs like these remind people of how small our town is, and how we can all work together to help bring art into the community and help educate our children.”
Student artwork, which will also be displayed in the Branchville Elementary School foyer, will be exhibited until mid-June. For more information about Art Connections, please contact Kristin Healy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
