K-12 Students to Display Art in Annual Exhibit at Portland Library

Portland students will have some of their best artistical efforts showing on the walls and inside glass display cases at the Portland Library.

The students represent all schools in Portland: kindergarten to Grade 2 at Valley View, grades 3 and 4 at Gildersleeve, grades 5 and 6 at Brownstone Intermediate School, grades 7 and 8 at the middle school and grades 9 to 12 at the high school.

Four Portland art teachers joined in selecting representative work from their lesson plans, which depict a theme or medium, and may be inspired by famous artists. The students responded with paintings, drawings, wire sculptures, collages and pottery.  Examples of  all of these will be on display for about two months at Portland Library. Most are hung in the Mary Flood Room but examples of pottery and paper mache are displayed in gleaming glass display cases on either side of the main entrance. 

The work was compiled since September, through the lessons that are conducted at the schools as part of the art curriculum. The exhibit consists of almost 170 items. They range in size from a tiny delicate wire sculpture to large pastel and pencil works from the High School. 

The art teachers  who collaborated in the program are Lynn Follis at Valley View, Tricia Allen at Gildersleeve and Brownstone, Ann-Marie Szerejko at the middle school and Stuart Noelte at the high school.  

The art exhibit has been a tradition at the Library and the student work gracing the walls of the Mary Flood room will be a backdrop for town government meetings as well as other events.  

The Friends of the Library will will hold a reception to formally kick-off the the event on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Mary Flood Room.  Student artists and their families are invited to enjoy refreshments and meet with their teachers as well as all others who would like to attend. 

The library is located at 20 Freestone Ave.