Music, art students find
place to display talents
By linda denicola
Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY LINDA DeNICOLA Eighth-grader Luke Pisarek, 13, was happy to accept an award for his art work “Torn Warrior” from Barkalow Middle School art teacher Arlene Smelson.
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Color-ful student art brightened the walls at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center on a dreary end of May day. In addition, music students provided lively entertainment for the families of the Freehold Township students who drove to the shore for the show.
The art exhibition and musical performances were presented by sixth through eighth grade students at the Barkalow Middle School and were followed by an artists reception with cheese and soda, instead of wine. The exhibition had an authenticity about it because the work was good.
Barkalow art teacher Arlene Smelson and music teacher David Rhoades sponsored the art exhibit that has been a happening event at the cultural center for the past three years.
Richard Keller, director of the cultural center, said the center provides an opportunity to spotlight artistic excellence among New Jersey students, not just Monmouth Beach students.
Sanjeer Tewani, 13, an eighth-grade art student at the Barkalow Middle School, Freehold Township, displayed his mixed media piece “The Music of Art” at the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center on May 31.
"Some of these kids have been showing here for three years and they just keep getting better and better," he said.
Keller was not only impressed with the art work, he was impressed with the musicians. Besides the more than 100 art students, 15 music students participated in the show.
"The singers and musicians are excellent," he said.
Smelson said she is always impressed with the students’ creativity and the support the parents and administration has provided for the K-8 school district’s visual arts program.
"Creative problem solving is employed to create the assemblage of student work you’ll see in this exhibit," she said in the program handed out at the show. "Each student is an individual and is encouraged to express themselves in their own unique way. For this reason, the work will vary, yet have some similarities. Each art unit involves an inter-disciplinary approach to other subjects that are studied during the year."
The art includes so many mediums, she said, pointing out collage, pastels, digital images, markers, pen and ink, water colors, plaster castings and mixed media. Pointing to two large plaster casts, she said the students in her advanced art class were asked to make something that made a statement, either political or personal.
Joseph Cassara’s plaster cast of a cow lying on its side with a stake sticking out of its hide held a straightforward message. Smelson explained that Joseph is a vegetarian and was making a statement about killing cows and eating meat. Written across the base of the piece was, "Innocent cow or tonight’s dinner?"
Another large plaster cast was not as obvious until you studied it for a moment. It was of a woman sitting with her head down and her hair falling over her face. Her bottom half was a tree trunk and she was called "Golup."
Created by students Kira Redzinak and Erin Buchanan, the message was an environmental statement: "If you separate man and nature, they will both die."
A seven-student wind ensemble, a flute trio and two vocalists provided the music. The wind ensemble played "American Salute" and the trio played "Pavane," by Ravel.
The Barkalow Wind Ensemble is comprised of eighth grade students.
Rhoades wrote in the program, "These students meet in a regularly scheduled class once a week. Our emphasis is on performance, style and achieving the balance between the instruments of our ensemble."