THS Students Show Off Their Talents at Art Show

Teaneck High School's Art Show on Friday evening featured numerous sketchings, paintings and sculptures and showcased the talents of student musicians and a dancer.

Junior Melissa Clemmings performed a solo dance routine to the song "Tired" by Kelly Price. She said it was her first time dancing alone before a crowd.

"I've been dancing since I was little, and I take dance classes here (at the high school)," Clemmings said. "When I go to college, I want to join the dance team -- if they have one -- if not, I'll join the cheerleading squad."

THS Junior Patrick Flores and senior Gary Williams played the guitar and piano, respectively, for nearly an hour. Williams' friend, Michael Christian, came from Orange High School to play the drums. All three teens played jazz tunes while visitors walked around viewing all the artwork.

Art teacher Marc Calello said his students produce artwork all year in different subject matters and that Friday's show was the grand finale that showed off "the best of the best" from all the classes.

"There's Art I, II, III, IV, Art Honors and Digital Art I that's being shown," Calello said. "And to round off this concept of a celebration of the arts in general, we put together a jazz band, a dance performance and poetry."

Calello said it isn't easy selecting which artwork will get displayed because all his students do an exceptional job.

"This year we're showing the most work," he said. "I don't think we could possibly pack anymore work into this area."

Teaneck resident Amy Losak attended last year's art show. She said she was so impressed with the beauty and diversity of the artwork that she felt compelled to donate some of her mother's poetry to the art classes. Excerpts from her mother's haikus appeared in some of the artwork. 

"My mother, Sydell Rosenberg, was a public school teacher in New York; she taught English as a Second Language, and she was a writer her whole life, including haiku, which she studied very seriously as an art form," Losak said. "I always thought poetry -- not just my mother's but poetry in general -- could be great creative catalysts for visual expression, for musical expression, and for movement. 

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