With about 320 students attending Webster School from grades pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade, there were a variety of works on display ranging from 1 to 3 dimensional pieces, and included several mediums from water color to paper mache.
"The arts are important and we try to regularly [incorporate] the arts in the curriculum," said Principal Anthony Colasurdo. "Each child contributed at least two pieces, and was able express themselves in an artistic way [not just academically]."
This was the first Daniel Webster School Art Show, which was a collaborative effort with the artists in residence from the educational organization Arts Horizons. Arts Horizons has been working with schools in the Weehawken School District for about six years, and has typically provided music education at Webster School.
"Arts Horizons is a program usually just for music in Weehawken, but this year we decided for it to be a year in fine arts," said Donna Mansmann, art teacher.
Founded in 1978, Arts Horizons is an education organization serving schools in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area offering innovative arts-in-education programs for grades pre-k through 12th. Arts Horizon also recently did their end of the year dance program with Theodore Roosevelt School.
Tapping into the fine arts
The students of Webster School have been working with the art program since September learning about art history and the various components of art from line shapes to texture. Each class explored all the different elements of design, but was also given specific mediums to focus on which they were able to use for the final projects.
"What we did was try to have a different medium in each grade level, and different areas of inspiration," said Mansmann. "As the grade levels got higher [the medium] was more advanced."
The first grade classes all used foam for their art projects, and many other classes used elements such as sand, tissue, and of course traditional paints and watercolors. Many of the second graders made sculptures out of paper mache, and the preschoolers took on simpler projects such as drawing and coloring. The styles of the art projects also ranged from Native American, Venetian, and Greek inspirations among others.
"Our art work follows different areas in the curriculum and we tried to expose them to as many different mediums as we could," said Mansmann.
The kids even implemented recycling into their art lessons by using materials such as bottle caps for their projects.
"I like art because it's very creative work," said second grader Maya Adasse, 7. "You always use your imagination to make it and even if it's wrong it's still good."
In addition, to drawings and other sculptures, the children also made masks utilizing many different materials including hollowed out milk containers, which served as the base of the mask and decorated them with a variety of ornaments.
"Every child is represented with a mask, so they have at least one piece of art work [on display]," said Mansmann. "Some children have two or three pieces."
The kids had been working on their final projects and preparing for the art show for the last six weeks, and Mansmann credits the great support by the staff in the building for making this first art show a success.
"They are my third hand and without them this program would not be what it is," said Mansmann. "Our teacher aides and lunch aides have been phenomenal, and it just would never come together with out all of these people [involved]."
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