Irvington Students Keep Their ‘Eyes On Art’

IRVINGTON, NY — Students at Dows Lane Elementary School and Main Street School expressed their imagination and created their own art, inspired by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, as part of the PTSA-funded Eyes on Art program during weeks in November and December. The five-day-long program enabled the students to learn more about the famous artist and her style of installation art.

Kusama, who is the top-selling female artist in the world, has created a legacy of artwork that spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation, performance, poetry and literary fiction. Through the program, trained parent volunteers taught the students about Kusama’s various elements of art and how she used those elements to convey a message.

“Exposure to various artists and art styles occurs in the art room daily, but through Eyes on Art, the students are provided with a new lens through which to see works of art,” Dows Lane art teacher Marisa Micolucci said. “The fact that parents and community members dedicated their time to being trained for this event is truly wonderful for all involved.”

Over the course of five days, the students participated in creating their own large installation art piece, which included a large bookshelf, books for the shelf and Styrofoam cooler boxes. After engaging in meaningful discussions about Kusama, the students viewed a short video of an installation piece on display at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia, called “The Obliteration Room.” Each student then received a few sheets of colorful stickers to add what they liked to the installation pieces.

“Some students were very purposeful about their dot placement, while others went for a more abstract approach,” Micolucci said. “Several students added dots where other classes had left off, and some created new designs by overlapping what was already there. The students were excited to make their mark on the installation pieces, and the joy of using stickers to make art helped them to think creatively.”

Nina Rossi, Main Street School art teacher and chairperson of the Visual Arts Program, said she was pleased that the Eyes on Art program was expanded to include more diverse and contemporary artists.

“As always, the program continues to be a valuable connection between our elementary art program and the community,” Rossi said.

For more information about the program, visit the PTSA website.

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Photo caption: Dows Lane Elementary School created their own large installation art piece as part of the PTSA-funded Eyes on Art program. Photo credit: Irvington Union Free School District.