“I found mine!”
As each class toured the Increase Miller Elementary Art show, exclamations of excitement were heard as students discovered their artwork displayed on tables, hanging on walls and much more.
Art teacher Julia Zaremba had created whimsical displays of their work, presenting collections that highlighted the individual and collective beauty of hundreds of pieces, and affirmed students’ identities as artists.
The pop-up show was as much of a surprise for the students as it was for parents, who attended an evening gallery opening.
Third graders’ yarn birds were perched in trees. Second graders’ deconstructed and painted egg cartons were hung on strings, creating a waterfall of flowers. Fourth graders mini sculptures of food were presented as a beautiful buffet, adjacent to a menu of reflections on why they choose to craft these items.
The theme of the show was nature and sustainability. Zaremba described how many of the projects used recyclables or drew students’ attention to patterns in the natural world.
Fourth grade sculptures began as a mound of plastic bottles, egg cartons and cardboard boxes that students brought in from home. They discussed their ideas, then created technical drawings before “shopping” to find the perfect items to build their sculptures of animals, flowers and more.
There was a surprise section in Increase Miller Elementary Art Show - Lost & Found Laundry Art, which artfully displayed the school’s lost and found! Fourth and fifth graders on the school’s IMpact team, a belonging initiative led by teacher Bebhinn Fahy, used the school’s ample lost and found to create rainbows, stars and spell out I ♡ Art!
On the way out of the show, the students took a moment to look at the notes that parents had left on the Compliment an Artist bulletin board. “Your art is so fun and creative.” “I loved your hot cocoa.” “Your mini food is so cute!” “Wow!”