Dans Hamptons

Last week’s comments regarding the lack of a national commitment to art education in the public school system don’t particularly apply to our area, thank goodness. Which seems appropriate considering the important artists who do live and have lived here. Both Guild Hall and the Parrish Art Museum are two institutions that provide another reason for the continued support of student art, namely through their excellent educational programs and exhibits.

The current display at the Parrish features work by younger students (K-8); Part Two, for older pupils, will open shortly. Like the show at Guild Hall, both public and private schools are included; so are institutions for children with special needs who, by the way, respond well to the visual arts.

While there are other similarities relating to subject matter and the use of materials, the Parrish exhibit is primarily conspicuous concerning its size. Simply put, the Museum can accommodate a greater number of entries (including from schools on the North Fork ) and also larger installations. As a result, the show appears to be both more comprehensive and more dramatic in its large-scale arrangement.

A good example of a dramatic installation is one by the Hayground School, a private institution that is known for its multidisciplinary approach to art (and its yearly interactive project that invites viewers to experience the various sides, and often the exterior, of a configuration). The current form features fetishes from the American Southwest and the Congo, an effective way of learning about art and diverse cultures.

Other particularly striking projects (actually, they are all arresting in their own ways ) is one by Sag Harbor Elementary School, inspired by Edward Hopper: paintings of local scenes recalling the recent photography exhibit at Guild Hall that dealt with characteristic regional images. The students show both sensitivity and skill in capturing Sag Harbor’s charm and individuality.

Another complicated, yet compelling project, is by the Alternatives for Children School: a large colorful carousel that looks good enough to ride. A smaller display of handmade penguins (a popular subject in movies this year) is just as striking in its simplicity, and was also done by the Alternatives for Children School.

Which all goes to prove that “less is more.” Of course, “more is also more,” especially at the Parrish Museum’s Student Art Show,.
This show will be on view until March 4; Part II will be available from March 10 (opening) until March 25.

Art Commentary