Student Exhibit Unveiled at Ward Melville Heritage Org

in Stony Brook hosted its annual “Spring Into Art Show” this past Saturday for the eighth consecutive year, a program that highlights artwork created by students from kindergarten through high school.

“We selected the best pieces out of all of the schools,” said Rachel Conderon, a teacher at Nassakeag Elementary School. “It’s the only time of the year when we get all of the schools together.”

Both teachers and parents were on hand to show their support for the students’ work. The exhibit consisted of pieces in multiple mediums, including fine art, advertising, graphic and package design, digital photography and mixed media.

But the show also featured works in a relatively new medium, green art, which uses recycled materials. Examples included student Sarah Becker’s cardboard bust of The Mad Hatter and Tyler Godden’s Biplane sculpture, made out of crushed soda cans. Additional sculptures included cardboard busts of Mohandas Gandhi and Hagrid, a character from the Harry Potter series.

Photography was also on display, including Jenna Raynona’s The Smoking Girl and Kristen Pozmanter’s Girl On The Dock, which the audience seemed to really love.

Creative plaster sculptures by the sixth graders of the Nassakeage School weere also a hit at the show, including The Lady Bug by Marissa Daki.

“We used wet plaster to teach the children about both art and science,” said Erica Cacciatore, a teacher at Minnesauke Elementary School.  “We poured plaster over their hands. It then warmed up and hardened, leaving holes where their fingers were. From there they were encouraged to create something original using the casts.”

Cacciatore also pointed out a series of Chinese watercolor landscapes made by fourth grade students learning about ancient scrolls.

One 12th grader, Mary Kate Anselmini, displayed a graphic design that wasc hosen as the logo for The West End, a popular bar in Uptown Manhattan.

“The schools have really great, diverse art programs for the students,” said Conderon.

Both Conderon and Cacciatore will be teaching a Summer Art Camp at the Port Jefferson Village Center this summer, where students will learn more about art history, their favorite artists and how to develop their own artistic skills.