Elementary students display art at museum

Written by Matt Dalen
Friday, 05 February 2010 17:30

Fifth grade students at Increase Elementary School and fourth grade students at Lewisboro Elementary School will display their art starting Sunday, Feb. 7 at the Katonah Museum of Art.

Increase Miller's students created their own interpretations of historical events and figures in "'I' Witnesses to History," inspired by the museum's exhibit on Walt Whitman and Civil War-era art. Students researched historical topics and then used abstract expressionism to reflect their feelings about the topics. They incorporated words and phrases from poetry into the paintings. A poetry reading for the students will be held later this month.

Lewisboro's students created mixed-media paintings to reflect their world "since the day each was born." Teacher Spencer Eldridge said that he wanted the students to "respond to their time" in the same way Walt Whitman and Andy Warhol had responded to theirs. Students used found objects, print media and downloaded materials to "play with metaphors" using watercolors, ink, and photographs.

The artwork will be on display through Sunday, Feb. 14. It is being displayed through the museum's ongoing collaboration with the school district in the Thinking Through Art program.