Upper St. Clair Students Collaborate With Area Artists

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA - Three visiting artists recently shared their expertise, artwork and passion with students from Streams Elementary and Upper St. Clair High School.

At Streams, renowned bird carver Larry Barth worked with fourth graders as part of a cross-curricular project that will result in a permanent art installation of a "Flat Flock" of birds within the school.

The “Flat Flock” art installation will be comprised of groupings of fourth graders’ individually created birds to form different flocks. Students will draw and paint their birds and then glue them down to plywood, which will be installed near the entrance to the school.

“This experience helps our students gain confidence and excitement in their work as they will leave behind their artistic legacy,” Streams art teacher Angela Stevenson said. “And, it shows how you can think scientifically, artistically, mathematically, and still apply those interests as an adult into a variety of professions.”

Upper St. Clair High School students recently had the opportunity to participate in a three-hour urban art workshop with Shane Pilster of Rivers of Steel Arts. Pilster leads similar workshops at schools throughout the Pittsburgh region as well as at the Carrie Furnaces.

Students gained experience with style-writing, letter design and aerosol painting techniques while learning about the culture of graffiti. Students listened to a brief lecture and then set out to use aerosol paints to create works of their own designs using both text and images.

The high school also recently collaborated with artist Tom Sarver, who spent nearly three weeks working with International Baccalaureate Art and 3D Studio Art classes as well as a cohort of sophomores. As part of the high school’s, Artists in Residency project all sophomores had a workshop with Sarver as well as a workshop with artists from Attack Theatre, linking students’ experiences in World History to visual and movement art.

“Visiting artists enhance our existing curriculum and increase understanding between the arts and broader cultural movements,” high school art teacher Robyn Smigel said. “These programs expose students to a range of artistic approaches in new media, and fosters discussion about contemporary art and ideas, such as installation art or street art.”

Photos via Upper St. Clair School District.

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