NEWS
Cohoes students dazzle with art, enthusiasm
Jan. 30, 2012 - When nearly 500 Abram Lansing
students from pre-K through fifth grade showed up at Proctors for a
matinee of SHREK THE MUSICAL last week, their faces may have looked
familiar to patrons and to the dozens of people who work at the
theater. That’s because their outsized artwork – a Shrek-inspired
chandelier featuring a self-portrait of every student and staff
member from the school -- is prominently displayed in the lobby. The
chandelier, which hangs in front of the box office, was designed to
promote a message like that of one of the songs featured in the
play: “What makes us special; makes us strong.”
It is the second year in a row the school’s art has been featured at the theater.
"We are thrilled to have on display at Proctors this installation from Abram Lansing Elementary School," said Joey Hunziker, the Youth and Community Programs Manager at Proctors, who worked closely with teachers at the school as they planned what is now known as the Freak Flag Onion Chandelier. "It’s exciting to see nearly 500 individual self-portraits showcasing individual talents, yet woven together to make a striking, three-dimensional work of art."
Click here for slideshow of the trip to Proctors and art display>>
The chandelier’s design was the idea of art teachers Christina Scott and Jude Pingelski who had each student and staff member draw a self-portrait last September. The portraits were then traced or recreated on an 8” x 8” piece of fabric. The individual fabric pieces were all used to create concentric 12-foot, 10-foot, and 8-foot circles that make up the chandelier. The fabric was dyed different shades of purple to resemble the color of an onion’s skin.
“Shrek likens his personality to that of an onion – one with many layers – and that was our inspiration for the project’s design,” said Scott. “Our school community has layers as well, with hundreds of truly unique individuals combining to make a whole. We wanted to teach our students that what makes them unique, makes them special.
“Once the artistic vision was set, we turned to our math teachers to help us with measurements and dimensions,” she added.
Abram Lansing has been awarded $500 in art supplies for the Freak Flag Onion Chandelier as part of a student art show sponsored by Proctors and SEFCU.
"There is nothing more striking that the artistic expressions of children," said Principal Cliff Bird. "Thanks to the efforts the art teachers, our kids get to experience what must be every artist's dream - to have their work displayed for all to see and for that work to have real meaning.
“And it’s not just the art teachers who had a hand in this. Getting hundreds of kids to a Broadway show would have been impossible without the cooperation and hard work of all of our staff, particularly Deb Einbinder and our school nurse, Rachel Marer,” said Principal Bird.
The school trip was funded in part by a $2,000 grant from Target. The grant was secured with the help of Proctors Education to further a partnership between Proctors and Abram Lansing to teach students tolerance for people's beliefs and cultures and enhance students' critical thinking skills. Last year, the school attended a matinee performance of Disney’s THE LION KING during a school year that focused on learning about unique cultures, values and traditions around the world.
According to Principal Bird, who spoke to several theater-goers, it wasn't just the striking artwork that made people take notice of the Abram Lansing students. The excitement and enthusiasm they brought Thursday afternoon to Proctors made the show particularly special for many adults in the audience.
“I’m as proud as can be to be from Cohoes,” said lifelong Cohoes resident Joe Burke, who was at the Schenectady theater enjoying the show with family.
“The laughter and excitement these kids bring to the show makes it extra special,” he said during intermission. “I was at THE LION KING last year when they were in the audience enjoying the show. Afterward, I was compelled to contact the principal and superintendent to share my excitement at learning these fine little people were students in Cohoes. I feel lucky to be here with them again!”
