The Art Show at Nutley High School 2018
On Wednesday, May 23, 2018, the Nutley Public Schools hosted a district-wide Art Show. The event took place in the Nutley High School gymnasium and cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. that evening. The Art Show is a happy occasion for the students, staff, and parents of Nutley Schools. This year, the Art Show was truly a success. It was arranged by Mr. Denis Williams, principal of Nutley High School, Mrs. Theresa Lappostato, NHS art teacher, and Dr. James Riley, Coordinator of Fine, Practical and Performing Arts.
Because of their talents and passion for art, the students have come a long way this year. Mrs. Lappostato was excited for the day that the art students could show off their talents. “Because we have more course offerings and more staff, it allowed our department to grow,” said Mrs. Lappostato. “We are now able to display more talented students work. All of our students demonstrated tremendous growth this year. This year, we expanded to involve our community in our ‘bowls for hunger’ project. All art students in John H. Walker Middle School and Nutley High School created and donated their ceramic bowls to be sold. The funds raised went to the Nutley Family Services for people in need of food in our own community. We are proud and amazed that we displayed and dismantled a district-wide show with success in an unheard of 24 hours.”
Dr. Riley was also impressed with the students’ hard work. “The art show is a yearly event that has continued to grow each year over the past five years,” said Dr. Riley. “This year we featured hands-on displays and interactive exhibits in the cafeteria in addition to the gym. Several of our students have won awards again and are currently on display in several venues outside of Nutley. Both our faculty and students are active in exhibits and competitions outside of Nutley.”
In addition to gallery displays, art competitions, and scholarships, the Art Show students and faculty have also gathered independently at local outside workshops. Some of these workshops include the Newark Print Shop to complete some independent silk screen printing, Grassroots Glass Foundry, and Local Artists Drawing Guilds. The students also do local and international field trips and in-house guest speakers about art careers.
The Art Show of Nutley Public Schools has been a huge success this year. Art is a way to relax and unwind. People often use drawing and painting as coping mechanisms to defuse from everyday stressors life can throw their way. Art can be used as a way of communication and expressing emotions. Artists also can use painting and drawing in order to tell stories. Nutley students are lucky to have a way to integrate so many forms of art into their lives and everyday school experience.
