YES STORIES of SUCCESS

5th graders at Oneora School’s Bennett Elementary have been making and telling Sea Stories for four years. This popular school program began as the brainchild of WAAM Education Curator Beth Humphrey and Bennett art teacher Roberta Ziemba. “Our goal has been to support and enhance the art curriculum by teaching students about the rich history of artists who have lived and worked in our region,” said Humphrey. Artwork from WAAM’s Permanent Collection like Fish Eat Fish by Nahum Tschacbasov serve as the foundation of the program. The students talk about the work’s mysterious visual narrative, analyze the images and iconography, and learn about the history of myth and lore that the sea has long-inspired.

This year’s class of 85 students have spent the past month using dynamic shapes and expressive line and color to create their own inspiring Sea Stories through a series of foam prints. The students imagine their own sea creatures using a variety of materials and a combination of drawing, painting and printing techniques. This 5th grade class has made over 250 prints in the Sea Stories project and each student will exhibit their favorite in the WAAM’s Youth Exhibition Space (YES Gallery). Want to see this colorful and inspiring variety of Sea Stories prints? Join is for a special reception on Saturday, December 1 during the Woodstock Holiday Open House, 12-8 PM. This exhibition will continue December 1-30, 2018.

The Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM) believes that promoting children’s access to the arts creates and enhances learning and builds stronger communities. Our Education Program, now in its 13th year, serves the mission of the organization “to foster art education through programs that enrich and engage the community.” All school programs are planned in collaboration with teachers and administrators to design exciting, participatory, hands-on art experiences that are offered free to the public, our community, and local schools.

Watch for more YES Stories of Success as we share stories of the vibrant and vital work that our Art for Education Program brings to our schools and community.