Staten Island Children's Museum Brings Student Artwork From P.S. 56 The Louis DeSario School To The Community In ShopRite Of Veterans Road Display

Local shoppers are enjoying an art show while they pick up groceries at the ShopRite of Veterans Road, where student artwork from P.S. 56 The Louis DeSario School is on display as part of a special art program offered by the Staten Island Children's Museum.

P.S. 56 is the third Staten Island south shore school that has participated in the Children's Museum "Art Residency Program." This is the second year that New York City Council Member Joe Borelli secured funding for the program, and this year, the Children's Museum received additional funding secured by New York State Senator Andrew Lanza for this particular Residency Program.

The Children's Museum Art Residency Program provides an opportunity for schools that do not have a dedicated art teacher to bring art to their students and to enhance art education for those that do. Residencies are a partnership between the Children's Museum and the schools and involve a pre-Residency planning meeting to discuss artistic goals, possible alignment with the curriculum, logistics, and any special needs. The Residency includes all art materials and can take place over 3 - 10 sessions.

"Our student-artists at P.S. 56 have done a tremendous job this year and I'm thankful to them that our community will be able to enjoy their artwork throughout the summer while they're displayed in ShopRite on the south shore," said Council Member Borelli. "I'm very proud that this was made possible through funding my office has provided to establish and develop the partnership with P.S. 56 and the Children's Museum over the last several years and hopefully many more to come!"

Senator Andrew Lanza said, "The Staten Island Children's Museum Art Residency Program has done a fantastic job in connecting students with art. This Program has successfully placed artists in the classroom to give students a hands-on artistic experience. The students are learning important skills, and with the added support of ShopRite, their artwork is proudly displayed for the entire community to enjoy."

"Our students and staff really enjoyed the Staten Island Children's Museum Art Residency Program," said Philip Carollo, Principal of P.S. 56. "The children learned about and used various mediums to create their artwork. This was an amazing opportunity that we could not have provided without the support of Council Member Borelli and Senator Lanza. We hope to continue our partnership with the Staten Island Children's Museum. Thank you to ShopRite for displaying our students' artwork. I am sure it will be a memorable experience for our families."

"Once again, we are proud to host the artwork of students participating in this Staten Island Children's Museum Art Residency Program," said Kevin Mannix, owner of Mannix Family ShopRites. "It has been a wonderful experience seeing the excitement the children have when they find their pieces on display here."

The P.S. 56 Art Residency Program

Staten Island Children's Museum Program Manager Zoë Tirado and Museum Educators and Teaching Artists Janet Gonzalez and Margaret Shanley brought this Art Residency Program to P.S. 56 over the course of three classroom visits in April.

During the interactive sessions, the students learned about printmaking, created etchings from foam and paint, and then made mixed media pieces using their handmade stamps and illustrations inspired by the spring season. They also learned an array of techniques to incorporate into their mixed media pieces, including painting, collage and printmaking. The finished product will be each student's individual masterpiece in additional to a collaborative large-scale piece from each class. The works from each grade will rotate through the store's display and will continue through the fall of 2019.

"Our Art Residency Program continues to generate interest from educators and students," said Tirado. "It's a positive way to bring the resources of the Staten Island Children's Museum to children throughout all parts of the borough."

Staten Island Children's Museum On-Site Art Immersion Program
The Children's Museum also offers an on-site art experience through its Art Immersion Program. These 90-minute sessions are led by Children's Museum staff during a class trip and can cover a variety of areas based on a teacher's choosing, including: painting, Iroquois jewelry making, African and Mayan mask making, bookmaking and shadow puppet creation. In addition to making the pieces of art, the sessions explore the history and cultural significance of the works.

For more information about the Staten Island Children's Museum art and other programs, please see the School Programs at the Museum 2018 - 2019 brochure, contact Director of Education Karen Jarmon at (718) 273-2060, ext. 265 or email at kjarmon@sichildrensmuseum.org.

The Staten Island Children's Museum is located on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301. The Museum's hours for September - June are Tuesday- Friday from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. For more information, call 718-273-2060, email info@sichildrensmuseum.org, or visit sichildrensmuseum.org.