Connecting Arts and Athletics: Art Projects Promote School Spirit

For anyone who thought things looked a bit different at Garden City High School this week, you're right it did - right down to the cellophane horses wrapped around the light poles on Merillon Avenue.

Patch has learned that the Garden City Art Department collaborated on projects to promote school spirit, including the horses, which were part of a week-long art happening called “Guerrilla Art.”

Students in Shawn Uttendorfer’s classes planned and created the installations – one each day this week – for Spirit Week, according to Catherine Knight, coordinator of public information for the Garden City school district. Mr. Uttendorfer’s senior Art 4 class led the activities.

"In conjunction with Spirit Week, art classes used the Trojan and school colors to create installation art throughout the school property," he said. "The week began with collaged circles made up of Trojan heads located on the wall outside of the attendance office and the math wing."

Mrs. Ellerman's, Mrs. Veitch's, Mr. Karp's and Mr. Uttendorfer’s classes contributed with cutting the hundreds of images needed to complete the projects.

"The next day students used the cut out Trojan heads to create a 75-foot wave along the parking lot fence. The goal was to develop larger installations each day as the momentum built toward pep rally.

Students mounted tape cased Trojan horses on the light posts around the perimeter of the parking lot on Day 3. The tape castings were created by Mrs. McMahon's and Mr. Uttendorfer’s classes.

On the fourth day students created a larger screaming Trojan head made of running silhouettes. On the final day students covered every classroom door with a stencil.

"It was a wonderful week filled with teamwork, dedication and school pride," Mr. Uttendorfer said. "This project connected the arts and athletics on a new level that we hope to recreate in the future."

The Homecoming parade kicks off at noon on Seventh Street; the Trojans then take on Wantagh at 2 p.m. at the high school. The annual Seventh Street fall festival street fair is ongoing between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.