Middle School Art Show Brightens Up Mineola Library

For the last month the has showcased the art work from the students of Mineola Middle School in their lower floor gallery.

A 90 minute reception Wednesday hosted by art teacher Andrea Antonelli, and fine arts supervisor Peter Freeman marked the end of the showcase.

“My students work very hard and they did beautiful work this year, they always do, but it’s nice when the community gets to see what they’re doing in the school,” Antonelli said.

An art teacher for the past 6 years, Antonelli. In addition to teaching art to seventh and eighth graders, she also oversees the sixth grade art club as well as a digital photography club.

Each of Antonelli’s students had at least one piece in the exhibit.

“This is all student choice so they got to look through their whole portfolio work and they chose their best work,” she said.

The library’s gallery consisted of about 400 pieces of work from the middle school art students and took about four days to display on the walls with the help of some students and custodians.

“We took over this whole downstairs and transformed it and we had a great response from the community,” Antonelli said.

Families as well as Mineola community members were invited to the event via notices sent home with the students, who guided parents through the gallery on tours.

“A lot of people were aware of it,” Antonelli said. “When they see their work in a classroom that’s one thing but when they see it up on a wall with 400 other pieces it’s impressive. It makes a bigger statement.”