Hands-on art: this is Me, this is Us

This spring, 4th and 8th graders from the Kingston School District joined working artists at WSW’s studios for the Art-in-Education program. From January to March, the etching, silkscreen and papermaking studios were buzzing with activity as small groups of students took part in guided sessions developing projects. The Art-in-Education program, established in 1985, is designed to create an environment where students work alongside practicing artists as a way to complement their in-class studies, and experience the joys and challenges of working in a professional studio.

Using self-portraiture as a thematic guide, students applied various printmaking and papermaking techniques to create work that delved into themes of identity, individuality, and self-representation. They tapped into their own lives to inform the art-making process, gathering personal artifacts and developing symbols and images that tell their stories. Students translated their personal narratives into both traditional and unconventional self-portraits while exploring the fundamentals of printmaking and papermaking and incorporating principles of design.

In the silk-screen studios, resident artist Victoria Eidelsztein worked with studio intern Hannah Berman teaching students different techniques to achieve a successful print. After demonstrating how to use multiple layers, stencils, text, and photographs to create compositions, the students worked in pairs through the design process and printed an edition of four.

In the intaglio studio Sharon Lindenfeld, assisted by studio intern Julia Schrecengost, prompted 4th and 8th graders to explore objects of special significance to them, and develop ideas of how to represent imagined spaces. Applying the monoprint technique, students experimented with texture, color and line, constructing semi-abstract narrative pieces.

Hannah Bennett taught papermaking alongside studio intern Asheigh Pillay. Students were introduced to several papermaking techniques using pigmented pulp made of different fibers. Through combining materials in innovative ways and embedding symbolic forms into the paper, students created work packed with personal meaning.

After six weeks at the WSW studios and follow up in-school sessions, participating students get a chance to show their work over the next month at WSW’s gallery. this is Me, this is Us opens on April 9th from 4.00 to 6.30pm. Join us for the opening reception celebrating the work of these young artists and see the studios where the work was created.