The work of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso was a big hit recently with Frankfort School District 157-C students.
Picasso was the featured artist at the district-wide Annual Arts Showcase sponsored by the district’s Family School Partnership. Reproductions on banners of Picasso’s work were on display at the school.
“Picasso is fun,” said Lisa Podlesak, co-chair of the event for the second year with Corrie Gleason.
“Last year, we decided to have an artist theme for the first time.”
Podlesak said Picasso, one of the creators of the Cubism style of painting, inspired projects quite different from those of last year’s artist, Claude Monet, the creator of Impressionism.
“Monet was a lot of paint,” Podlesak said. “Picasso is a lot of glue.”
Painting was only one of several fine arts showcased April 22 at Grand Prairie Elementary School, 10480 W. Nebraska St., Frankfort, the site of this year’s event.
Performing arts were represented by Street of Dreams dancers, and live music could be heard throughout the school all evening.
Musical performances, included a violin duo by students Jennifer Kluchenik and Claire Podlesak; the Hickory Creek Middle School Show Choir and Chorus, led by music teacher Leslie Walton; the Lincoln-Way Youth Strings, and individual performances by 14 young musicians.
Other performances were more spontaneous, reflecting the interactive nature of the event.
“Instrument Exploration with Mrs.(Brooke) Turnbough” offered younger students an opportunity to play instruments as Turnbough read them a story, and Steve Haberichter, owner of Down Home Guitars in Frankfort, brought a variety of instruments to the library for potential young musicians to try. Haberichter said he could barely keep up with the demand.
“There wasn’t even a breathing moment,” Haberichter said. “That’s what we want.”
He said children waited to try instruments such as the banjo and guitar throughout the nearly three-hour evening event.
Frankfort artist Pam Biesen said her experience was very similar to Haberichter’s. For four years, Biesen has been bringing a variety of discarded objects for students to recycle into art — everything from tin cans to bird feathers and enough to fill nearly 20 containers of supplies.
“It is the most fun I have all year long,” Biesen said of the experience. “I learn so many cool tricks from these youngsters.”
Adults also were encouraged to participate during the evening, or just to be a spectator if they chose. At a display of 3-D artwork submitted by students across the district, sixth grade student Jack Delage, 11, showed his father, Saul, the ceramic mug he made in art class in the shape of a penguin. Jack generously complimented the artistic “genius” of another student’s work while downplaying his own. Saul Delage, who brought his daughter Lia, 9, to perform with the Street of Dreams dancers, said he was impressed by all the young artists.
“It’s interesting because (the event) shows talent from all ages … and … from across the district,” Saul Delage said.
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Children with special needs also were part of the artistic experience. Adaptive art projects were offered by Ephraim’s House, a Christian-based organization that offers adaptive art to individuals with disabilities for the purpose of self-expression, creativity and problem solving.
While Romeoville artist Amy Belonio worked at re-creating one of Picasso’s paintings on her own blank canvas, she discussed the benefits to everyone of community events like the Creative Arts Showcase.
“I love this because arts are always pushed to the side, it seems,” Belonio said. She said it is important for young people to view art as “more than a hobby.”
Gleason said while it was encouraging to have more than 200 students attend the event, the goal for the evening was the enjoyment of art for those who did attend.
“We heard from the volunteers that the kids were really into the art projects,” Gleason said. “They wanted to complete all of them from start to finish. We were excited about that because we take the time to pick out all of the right things for all ages.”