If you have recently visited the Tate Library, you have seen the intricate art exhibit, filled with pieces from a range of classes and grades, on the ground floor galleries. Each painting, sculpture and drawing has its own story behind it. The beauty of the exhibit, which hangs sail style, is that it allows students to share their feelings and thoughts through art, and it allows student viewers to experience those heightened sensations.
Visual Arts Director Scott Wolfson and drawing and painting teacher Mathew Fischer worked diligently together throughout the first semester to create an art exhibit for the school to enjoy. When talking to Wolfson about the process of putting this exhibit together he explains that “Fischer and I try to be as collaborative as possible and incorporate the students as much as possible as well. We try to make the entire exhibition experience a teaching and learning moment for students so they can understand the decisions that are made in terms of which artworks should go where, how to physically hang the artwork, as well as offer an opportunity to take a step back to see and consider the artwork they and their peers made in the months leading up to the show.”
A variety of different pieces are shown in this exhibit. Whether it is a “mandatory” piece that a whole class works on, or an individual piece that someone is inspired to make, each painting uniquely shows an individual’s personality. Lilah Glassman, a Form IV student taking drawing and painting, observed the singularity of everyone’s paintings even though they were trying to paint the same thing: “Everybody had a different perspective based on where they were standing around the table. It was really cool to see how everyone’s final product was different even though we were all painting the same thing.”
Glassman then explained her process of creating this piece. She mapped out how the class operates: “First we made our own burnt sienna oil paint from scratch and then we used that to make the base layers on the canvas. Then we used mineral spirits on a rag and made outlines. After, we erased the lighter points so that we could have shadows. We then let it dry and went in with different shades of gray that we made ourselves. From there we started painting, outlining and putting in finer details. We kept adding layers and layers of the paint until it was accurate.”
Instantly intrigued, I asked Fischer about what goes into putting this exhibit together. Fischer explains that “the students in our art classes work throughout the fall semester to develop their paintings and drawings. Part of making art is showing it to other people, so we all work toward the deadline of having an exhibition as a way to get excited and to have a goal. The exhibition gives our students a great opportunity to start conversations with others about their work and to build bridges with other people in the community. Art has a powerful effect as a conversation starter and often reveals parts of our lives that others haven’t seen yet. So the exhibition is a great way to share what the students are working on and thinking about.” Each painting has a meaning and is an individual victory for the artist.
I enjoyed hearing about the process of creating this painting and wondered if some of the other paintings in the exhibit used a similar process. I was able to learn something from Glassman and the process of her art that I did not know before. I was then interested in learning about the support she got from her teacher as well as how independent the project was.
She explained that “Fischer gave us a lot of support. This was my first year taking drawing and painting so I was new to it all. I asked for a lot of help and he was totally willing to give me advice. He created a great working environment and if I had a specific question he always showed me exactly what to do.”
Later, when talking to Fischer about what art is incorporated into the exhibit I wondered how the art department decides what pieces to include. Fischer explained, “Students in our program decide what to hang and what not to hang. They also participate in the installation (hanging) of the show- which gives them a chance to see visual and metaphorical relationships between different artworks. As a teacher, I sometimes have to push for a piece to go in the show when a student is feeling unsure about their work, but ultimately everything in the show has been chosen and submitted by students themselves.” This inspired me to continue looking for the art made by students around the school. The Fieldston Upper School allows each and every student to be unique and original. The art displayed in this exhibit, and others shows the true beauty of the stories behind art.
This is one of my favorite paintings in the exhibit. There is so much room for interpretation and it leaves your mind wondering what the true meaning behind the painting was. The words and numbers in the painting led me to better understand the painting and its intentions.
This piece was instantly captivating to me. I had so many questions, although after thinking about what Wolfson had explained to me about the creativity of each painting I was able to understand the meaning behind it. I noticed the huge number 4 and what looked like a ruler behind it. I thought about what this meant to the artist and what it meant to me.
I wondered how the school reacted to such an intricate and sophisticated exhibit. “It’s also so lovely when teachers, peers, and other members in the community complement the student artists,” remarked Wolfson. “It’s also a rare opportunity for the entire Fieldston community to see what students have been working on in the art studios. It might sometimes seem like a mystery to what everyone is doing, but then when the exhibition goes up, everyone can see the magic that is happening.” This was enlightening to hear because it helped me to better appreciate the hard work that the students do to create art.
This is another painting that really intrigued me. So much is going on, yet it tells a clear story. This painting leaves you with questions and I enjoyed thinking more about this piece as I enter the library each day.
Understanding the background of the art made by my peers has been eye-opening. Fieldston allows its student body to express themselves and their creativity in almost every way imaginable. I was able to learn something new about my classmates through their art and about our institution. Next time, get innovative, get vulnerable and explore a new side of your creativity through art.
