Berkley Hosts Annual Art Show

The annual art show for the elementary schools brightened the halls of Berkley last Wednesday and Thursday. The show alternates sites between the two elementary schools each year but includes work from all the district's K-5 students.  A PTO sponsored Ice Cream Social concluded the two-day event.

The Art Show is put together by art teachers Mary Dolan and Michelle Citron.

“I start preparing about six weeks before the show by sending out a notice for volunteers and creating the labels with the children's names. About four weeks before, I start having parents come in to start mounting work," said Dolan. "I allow myself two weeks for mounting. One week before, I start hanging work along with many parent volunteers. If it weren't for them I'd have to start the whole process three months before! I greatly appreciate those that help mount and hang work.”

Dolan said, “Once it is complete, I love how the halls look! Seeing all the children's work that they created throughout the year reminds me just how much they've learned and how talented they are."

The color-splashed hallways were lined with paintings, collages, drawings, and 3-D works of art. Each display was grouped by grade or class so it was easy for students to find their masterpieces on the walls.

“I am very proud of all my students for all of their hard work throughout the year,” commented Ms. Citron.  “The hallways looked beautiful and I was so happy to show off the students’ artwork to all of the families and friends who attended the art show.”

Most of the exhibits were influenced by famous artists or authors. Students studied a piece of artwork or a book and then used that as inspiration for their own pieces.

Some kindergarteners made collages of freight trains that were modeled after Donald Crews’s illustrations of a freight train in his well-known picture book. Other kindergarteners’ work showed the influence of Picasso, Matisse and Degas, among others, whom they used to study colors and shapes.

Some of the artwork by the first grades exhibited their focus on horizon lines, which they studied through the work of Paul Klee.  Another first grade group used a combination of collage and paint after reading The Art Lesson by Tomi DePaolo to create a picture of themselves in front of an easel.

Some second graders reflected on Monet’s Japanese Foot Bridge and painted their own version of it. For this display and many others, a picture of the original work was posted alongside so that guests could see where the students’ inspiration came from. Another second grade collection showed students’ experience with varied mediums such as cut-outs, pastels, colored pencils, watercolor, and markers to design pieces influenced by Faith Ringold’s book, Tar Beach.

A group of third grade paintings revealed that children studied Picasso’s style of painting faces side by side. Another display showed gum ball machines inspired by Wayne Thiebaud. The gumballs were made of colorful tissue paper that protruded from the paper to make 3-D pieces.

Fourth graders studied Op Art. They produced works that used lines and shapes to create different illusions. They also made their own gargoyles after looking at examples of them and learning their history.

Influenced by “Cerealism”, a group of fifth graders designed collages out of cut-outs from cereal boxes. Others used artists’ foil to make Knights in Shining Armor. Some also made African masks carved on linoleum. Others created a surrealist painting in the style of Rene Magritte.

Around 7 p.m. Thursday evening, guests made their way to the gym where the PTO was giving everyone a scoop of ice cream. It was a sweet way for children to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments.

The art show left guests impressed and inspired. Berkley parent Val Callegari summed up an overall sentiment, "It is always great to come to school and see what the kids have accomplished. I am so impressed with all of their work, and it is great to see the proud smiles on their faces!"

Upcoming Berkley Events:

• May 23 and 24: Kindergarten Orientation 9:30 a.m.
• May 27: Grade 5 Colonial Day.
• May 30: School closed for Memorial Day.
• June 1: Spring concert 7 p.m. at NMHS.
• June 3: PTO meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Media Center.
• June 6: Grade 3 recorder concert.
• June 10: Rescheduled Berkley Day/Field Day.