ArtsErie Blog

by Stephanie Westley, ArtsErie Program Assistant

One Friday evening, I dropped in to the Neighborhood Partnership Center (formerly the Bethany Center) at 254 E 10th Street to check out the end of a robotics class at the Box of Light Studio. After class, I got a chance to chat with Box of Light instructors, Jude Shingle and Annie Schmitt. I spoke separately with Box of Light mastermind Rand Whipple a few days later for his perspective.

Lego builds are only one of the fun activities at Box of Light.

Stephanie Westley: What is Box of Light?

Rand Whipple: It is a digital arts studio. Box of Light lives where technology and art meet. We do animation and film; we work with computers and cameras. We ensure that it is a studio that teaches people to make their own media and see themselves in the films they make.

SW: Box of Light just opened its new Erie studio in March after holding its classes at the Erie Art Museum. What are you most looking forward to being here in your new studio?

RW: Going to the studio for our opening night was fun and exciting. I drove out to Erie from my hometown of Bloomsburg where I first started Box of Light ten years ago. The kids were there with their families and they showed up. I heard people might not go to east Erie, but it is a block from the stadium. Opening the studio on March 2nd was a fun happy time for me.

Jude Shingle: Making a really cool space where kids can come and hang out. We want to make it comfortable and fun. It fosters good relationships where ideas are not discouraged. We guide things and everyone is encouraged.

Annie Schmitt: It’s a fun, safe place to play.

SW: What classes do you offer now?

JS: Lego animation, robotics, KidTV which is where kids make their own TV show, comic book drawing where kids learn drawing through comic book making, and Claymation.

SW: What ages are appropriate for your classes?

JS: We have children as young as 6 up to 14. The classes work for all ages because it’s based on the child, what they're capable of and interested in, and we create a path that’s rewarding for them.
 

SW: What are the projects you will be working on for your summer camps?

JS: The best answer is on our online summer schedule. But they will include Claymation animation, robotics, Lego animation, costume making, monster movie madness, and a one-day camp called the Greatest Art Making Ever where in three hours, we will travel through time and visit the coolest art making techniques known to man.

SW: What skills do your classes instill in participants?

RW: Computers are tools for expression, for you to look at your life, decide what you want to say and create with words, images and sound. Students get computer skills and media literacy which is understanding how to bring in an image or sound, manipulate it or filter it, and use it to say something to the world.

AS: With robotics it’s very much about logic and everything is about problem solving.

JS: The biggest thing is building up resilience when you are in the face of failure. We teach how to persevere and think about something, break it down into steps so you know how to approach it, and really problem solve.

SW: What is some of the feedback you’ve heard from parents?

JS: Very positive. They’ve said that they have been looking for something like this, and we are it. One said her nephew loved it and he wants to come back. Another parent who overheard said, “Yeah, that happens.” You won’t have a choice; kids always want to come back. Any parent who has observed the class understands that learning is happening and that makes them even more thrilled.

AS: Getting kids to work together in groups has been very helpful for shy kids. Parents that are nervous about their kids not working with others come and they are fine.

SW: If you were a kid and you wanted to come to Box of Light classes, what classes would you take and what would you say to your parents?

AS: I would do KidTV because I’m a ham.

JS: I would tell my parents to let me sleep here every day. If you ask the parents, that’s what most of them say. The kids ask, “What are we doing tomorrow?” And the parents say, “Sorry, we aren’t coming here tomorrow.”

I would do everything here.

I would live here.

Want to check out Box of Light for yourself?
Come to the Studio Open House
on Saturday, April 6th at 1 p.m.
for a Lego Build and Film Event!
 

South Hills students reenact Diego Rivera’s Detroit Institute of Arts mural, 1932, through dance and movement.
Click each image for a larger view.

The kindergarten class at South Hills Child Development Center experienced an artist in residence, dancer Sioban Peterson-Walsh, thanks in part to the ArtsErie Arts in Education Partnership and the parents of South Hills’ students. Sioban worked with the students for four days where they explored connections between movement and learning. The children looked forward to the residency and spent a large part of their mornings using their imaginations and bodies.

South Hills administrator Connie Kerr Vogt stated: “I was so pleased to see children, who typically are shy about joining in group activities, dancing about the room; children who have difficulty focusing, listening intently and creating imaginative dances about the room; children who were reluctant to participate and sat through the first day, suddenly fly with confidence about the classroom for the rest of the week!”

The children’s activities included ‘dance’ paintings, inspired by Diego Rivera’s industrial mural, painted in 1932 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. They observed the activities in the work, described what they saw, and interpreted their observations through dance and movement: pulling, pushing, reaching, winding, hammering, twisting, carrying, and riveting. Kerr Vogt observed: “They learned about exaggeration with their bodies to better convey their movements. And they practiced open and closed movements with their bodies and how that might be used as they conveyed the words derived from the painting.”

Through this residency, the children participated in Action Based Learning to increase their movement skills and core balance with the additional dimension of creativity and imagination. The residency is not totally paid for at this point. Donations can be made to ArtsErie to support arts in education and the South Hills residency.

Megan Sabatini, Union City Art Teacher and Art in Action partnering teacher, will attend and present at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Convention in Dallas/Ft. Worth Texas in March 7 - 10, 2013.

Megan will be presenting with Boston University Department of Art Education head, Dr. Judith Simpson , about place based teaching. Megan's students at Union City Elementary School designed three Sense of Place murals that were interdisciplinary and connected to their community. This body of work grew out of a residency with ArtsErie's Art in Action program.

As an educator presenting at the NAEA conference, Megan will witness firsthand the emerging research and practices in art education. Also, her participation in the NAEA National Convention aligns with Union City Elementary’s, and Art in Action's, learning objectives which encompass interdisciplinary education, infusing the arts in teaching, teaching 21st century skills, and developing meaningful instruction that is connected to the lives of students.

The convention is themed "Drawing Community Connections," which emphasizes the importance of utilizing community connections and taking advantage of local resources. This theme will be seen throughout the National Convention in various lectures, workshops, and presentations. The convention theme also aligns with ArtsErie's mission and vision of promoting the arts throughout the community with local artists and art organizations. ArtsErie supports arts infusion and interdisciplinary education, two areas that are highlighted in the National Convention. Megan will share her experiences at the NAEA Convention with the ArtsErie community through her blog.

NAEA Conference Info:
The NAEA National Convention is an annual event providing substantive professional development services that include the advancement of knowledge in all sessions, events, and activities for the purpose of improving visual arts instruction in American schools. As such, it is the world's largest art education convention.

The four-day convention includes over 1,000 participatory workshops, panels, seminars for job-alike groups; research reports, discussions, exhibits, and tours; keynote addresses by world-acclaimed educators, artists, researchers, and scholars with the opportunity to connect with your colleagues from all over the world. Each year some 140-200 exhibitor booths displaying the latest art textbooks, high-tech software, prints, slides, curriculum materials, equipment, and programs, as well as the latest studio and art history media are made available for examination and review to art educator delegates.

ArtsErie’s Art in Action Program will host an Art in Action Learning Lab from Sunday, August 12 to Tuesday, August 14 at Allegheny College in Meadville. The conference is open to AIA partner school administrators, teachers, staff, teaching artists, as well as teachers and teaching artists outside of the program who want to know more about arts integration and arts infusion.

The theme of the Learning Lab is “Making an Impact.” Sessions will focus on practical applications for using art in the classroom, as well as ArtsErie’s Art in Education program.

The registration fee includes workshops, group meals and snacks, a school calendar and the chance to win gifts. An ArtsErie member discount is available. Teachers may also receive nine hours of Act 48 Credits.

To learn more and to register for the Learning Lab, visit artinaction.wikispaces.com.

For more information, contact ArtsErie at (814) 452-3427 or info@artserie.org.

On Wednesday, June 13, the Jefferson Educational Society will host a luncheon with Col. Jack Jacobs, a Vietnam Veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, who will speak about his life experiences. Col. Jacobs is also the Chairman of the Congressional Medal of Honor Curriculum Development Project, which was developed by the School District of the City of Erie and the Wattsburg Area School District with funding from the GE Foundation.

At the luncheon on Wednesday, ArtsErie will unveil a painting entitled “Courage,” which was the result of an ArtsErie-sponsored artist residency at Seneca High School, using the Congressional Medal of Honor Curriculum. The Seneca High School students worked with artist Tom Ferraro to create the painting.

Prior to his lecture, Col. Jacobs will be given a framed print of this artwork, presented by Holly Nowak, ArtsErie's Arts-in-Education Director; Nancy Sadaly, Wattsburg Area School District Superintendent, who worked on developing the Congressional Medal of Honor Curriculum; and Tom Ferraro, the artist who conducted the arts-in-education residency at Seneca High School.

Join us on Monday, February 13, 2012 to discuss building an arts, cultural and heritage advocacy network for Arts in Education. See below for details or download this PDF about the event.

The art of Union City's fourth grade students is currently on display at the Erie Maritime Museum, 150 East Front Street, Erie. The exhibit, "Maritime History Through Visual Arts: Fourth Graders Interpret the Battle of Lake Erie," will be shown through June 1, 2011. It is a great honor for these students to have their art displayed in one of Pennsylvania's State museums. Please stop by to show your support of these students' artistic endeavors.

Last week, Olde Town Grove City and George Junior Republic students revealed two unique sign sculptures that will be located downtown Grove City, PA. These sign sculptures are functional art pieces designed to enhance Olde Town Grove City while indicating designated parking areas. After many years of planning and months of designing, the sculptures were finally brought to life thanks to Glen Sanders, Fine Arts Director at George Junior Republic. “Wow. After all the planning and work, they’re finally done,” Sanders exclaimed after gazing at the sculptures erected near the Guthrie Theatre. “These sculptures are fantastic! I think they turned out better than any one of us ever imagined.”

A couple of years ago, Sanders and other members of Olde Town Grove City’s Design Committee, tried to find new ways to merge sculptures with local parking signage, which happened to be a growing need for most downtown business districts. With this new idea in mind, Sanders brought to life the Olde Town Grove City Sculpture Signage Project. The main goal of the project was to allow George Junior students the opportunity to participate in designing and creating the functional art sculptures for Olde Town. After deciding on the exact locations of the signage, George Junior then continued to work on a grant for an artist-in-residence, Ron Bayuzick, who would then guide them through the project from beginning to end. This grant was then submitted to ArtsErie for $15,000 with matching partners from the community including Midwestern Arts & Humanities Foundation, Grow Grove City, EITC PA, and the Grove City Area School District, along with George Junior Republic.

The process began with 35 George Junior students, who learned skills in welding, sculpting, and design. Although many students were positively impacted throughout the Signage Project, one student in particular, Alex Tagliaferro, expressed his gratitude at the final unveiling on February 16^th. Tagliaferro articulated how the process has impacted his decision to choose welding as a career, stating “Just from all the excitement and the way everyone was working together, made me feel comfortable in my decision to pursue welding as a career.” He goes on to state, “When I first started welding, it was all about repetition and practice, so when we finally got started working on the art project, I felt so relieved. I was really happy to apply what I’ve learned in the shop to something so important to all of us.”

Through each individual student’s hard work and dedication, along with the participation from ArtsErie and artist-in-residence Ron Bayuzick, both signage sculptures are available to view in downtown Grove City, PA. For more information about the Olde Town Grove City Sculpture Signage Project, you can visit their website at www.oldetowngrovecity.com. For more information regarding our Arts in Education program, click here. If you’re an artist interested in doing a residency, you can contact Holly Nowak, Arts in Education Program Manager at holly@artserie.org or by phone at (814) 452-3427.

Olde Town Grove City. Olde Town Celebrates Two Unique Sculptures: A Tale of Two Organizations. Grove City, 2011. Print