On View June 3 – 24
This exhibition features the work of 5 and 6 year old students from Ms. Jessica Custer-Bindel’s Kindergarten class at the Beverly J. Martin Elementary School. After a visit to the State of the Art Gallery, the students asked, “Who gets to show their art?” and “Can we show our art in a gallery?”
CSMA is committed to our mission to enrich the human spirit of people of all ages and backgrounds by encouraging artistic exploration. We were excited to be a part of these students’ month-long journey to discover what it means to be an artist, to explore the concept of art as a universal language, and to experience the work and discipline it takes to put on a show. As the children created their art, they became investigators of beauty, turning to deep observation, contemplation, and an attention to process. This type of learning, that the Reggio Emilia educators call “the aesthetic dimension,” is in contrast to the indifference, carelessness, conformity, and absence of participation and feeling (Vecchi, 2010, p.5). Through L’Atelier, the child became the artist, and art became a way to engage with the world.
Works include pottery, sculpture, photography/scenes from a playground, collage, and nature paintings.
Featured Artists: Ashley, Benny, Diana, Fatell, Gabriel, Jacob, Khadija, Nicolas, Niya, Roselyn, Simon, Waleed, and Zai’vyon.
(Vecchi, V. (2010). Art and Creativity in Reggio Emilia: Exploring the Role and Potential of Ateliers in Early Childhood Education. New York, NY: Routledge.)