Whereas all students are familiar with using pencils to fill in bubble forms for test answers, there is a subset of students who use their pencils to map the flights of their imagination. This was especially evident at the recent Art Supervisors Association (ASA) Exhibit for students in Nassau County public schools. This event took place in an exhibition space at Adelphi University. Display panels presented student art from grades K-12, representing the work of students nominated by numerous art teachers throughout the county.
In order to participate in the annual exhibit at Adelphi, however, districts have to be members of the Art Supervisors Association. Fortunately, in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District, Peter Rufa, the district’s supervisor of fine and performing arts, is a leader actively involved in the association, advocating for the arts in education.
According to the ASA website (www.artsupervisorsassociation.org), “ASA is active in the promotion of quality art instruction at all educational levels and provides a forum for ideas relating to art and art education.”
In addition to the art exhibit, each year the ASA honors a graduating senior art student from member districts with a scholarship. This year’s scholarship recipient from OBHS was Alanna Petrone, who attended the awards ceremony with her father and received her hard earned prize. Rufa, Scott Boris, and Karen Crowley were present for Petrone’s scholarship ceremony.
Petrone’s work in the exhibit was a graphite drawing of insects in a Cubist style. This year Petrone is enrolled in advanced painting and AP studio art: drawing portfolio courses. She enjoys drawing from observation, using a variety of media including graphite, charcoal and pastels. Next year Petrone will be attending the School for Visual Arts in New York City, majoring in animation; she would like to have a career working as an animation artist.
Other graduating seniors intending to pursue careers in the visual arts field whose work was exhibited in the ASA show were Sienna Kuo, who will be majoring in architecture at college, and Emma Devereaux, who will be attending the Savannah College of Art & Design, majoring in photography. OBHS student art portfolios are competitive and include both media arts and traditional arts. The OB-EN Central School district provides several state-of-the-art Mac labs and several art studios at the high school to support the artistic and creative achievement of students. At both elementary schools, the district supports extra classes that integrate the visual arts with the work of classroom teachers.
Last month, the student artists whose work was in the ASA exhibit were recognized by the Board of Education for their achievement. Rufa, all of the district’s art teachers, the students and their families were in attendance.
Rufa spoke to the board of education and community, saying that being involved in art education develops character in students.
