NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Sculpture students in the New Rochelle High School Visual Arts program recently learned where to go to find art that is too large to hang on a wall, place on a pedestal, or even fit in a building. On a trip to Storm King Art Center in Orange County, they found a wide variety of sculptures, including some that towered over them.
“It opens their eyes to art as being not just something in a museum or a gallery,” said teacher Joanna Schomber. “Some of the sculptures are two or three stories high.”
The students returned to class inspired by the works of artists such as Alexander Calder and Mark di Suvero to create their own works in clay, which they were painting on a recent day.
“It was really interesting to see all the different styles,” said senior Sarah Wunderler. “Some of them were pillars, while others had hanging parts. One of the more interesting ones was a fence made out of mirrors.”
This was not the only trip taken by Visual Arts students. Students in the PAVE Visual Arts program (Performing And Visual Arts Education) recently took in the popular exhibit by master glass blower Dale Chihuly at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. They then created paintings inspired by Chihuly’s works. Later this year, some Visual Arts students will visit the Bullseye Glass Co. in Mamaroneck to learn about glass fusing.
Sophomore Camila Martish said she learned on the Storm King trip that art can come in many forms.
“Art doesn’t have to be done a specific way,” she said. “It’s a way for people to express how they feel.”