Light Sculptures Offer Collaboration
January 29, 2018
This year’s Open House light installations have been a collaborative effort, between art students and other students from the various departments for which the installations are intended to represent.
While light sculptures in previous years had been the exclusive work of students currently in the art program, this year, art teacher Jill Langston decided to extend an invitation to those students beyond her own classes. “We thought it would be a really cool idea just because we wanted to have the whole community together,” she said.
According to Langston, each department was asked if they were interested in participating in the creation of a department specific light sculpture. The art students acted as project managers, helping with the design and organization of each sculpture team. Langston is hopeful that the new format will bring a greater appreciation for the finished product. “The light project is not really seen by students and they don’t really know about it, so that might be a better way of bringing them in,” said Langston.
Art student Paige Hanley said, “I think it’s a good way to get the whole school in on it…because everyone can feel like they participated in it even if they don’t feel like they have the strongest art skills.”
A few teachers such as French teacher Ed Willy and Special Education teacher Michelle Alessandria brought in their classes to the art room to help out with the production of the sculptures.
The language department project Willy’s students worked on consisted of several chosen figures from the respective cultures of the different language classes.
Senior French student Megan Colpo said, “My friend, Zoe, who takes advanced art, asked us if our class could come in and help. There’s a lot of work. It’s good to see the results.”
The special education department created 20 plastic cup sculptures with the World Art class to hang in the halls during Open House. Leadership collected notes from hundreds of students to feature in their sculpture of a tree, with each note attached like a leaf.
Langston said, “I’d say [participation] depends really if there was a teacher that really stepped up and took a lead in it, then it’s going very well.”
Junior art student Emma Smith said, “It was slow at the beginning, but now I feel like there’s a lot of people and the classroom’s basically full.”
The light sculptures will be on display at Open House on February 1.
