Student, senior artwork to fill walls at Schweinfurth

Annual “Both Ends of the Rainbow” exhibit opens Feb. 6

AUBURN, NY (Jan. 27, 2022) – The magic of “Both Ends of the Rainbow” is coming back on Feb. 6, 2022, with student art from Auburn and surrounding school districts filling the walls of the Schweinfurth Art Center’s main gallery.

Students’ return to full-time in-person learning has had a positive impact on their art, said Chelsea Hamilton, art teacher at Owasco Elementary School in Auburn.

“They are excited to be back in the art room with their friends, and that positivity and social interaction while making art has sparked those creative brains again!,” Hamilton said. “The best part of the art room is the art talk. Students are interacting with one another while working, which produces ideas, suggestions and positive critiques.”

Also on display in “Both Ends of the Rainbow” will be artwork from Schweinfurth members and Cayuga County residents age 65 and older, and a separate exhibit, “Three Lakes Sampler,” which showcases artwork by students in Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES’ Talented and Gifted program.

“We are pleased to be able to continue this annual celebration of student and senior art,” said Schweinfurth Program Director Davana Robedee. “Our walls are filled with work from talented Cayuga County artists.”

The exhibits open Feb. 6, 2022, and run through March 12. Admission is free. Visitors must wear masks at all times in the art center and are asked to maintain social distance. There will be no opening reception.

It’s been a trying couple of years for both teachers and students. “The pandemic has made it extremely difficult for projects to be completed by all students,” said Genesee Elementary School art teacher Stefanie Corey. “Only seeing the students once a week makes it more difficult, and if they are absent that day, it’s close to impossible.”

But there are many success stories to accompany the cheerful, brightly colored artwork adorning the gallery walls. Hamilton said she enjoys watching the students’ art-making process. “I get a chance to see students get excited about their ideas and see the progress they make from start to finish,” she said.

Quinn Hoselton, a sixth-grader from Owasco, painted a horse because she likes to ride. Fourth-grader Reid Libereatore always has a story to go with his work. “Artwork is such a fun way to learn more about the students,” she added.

In “Both Ends’” student exhibit, artwork is grouped by school so visitors can see how different students tackled the same assignment. Take, for instance, Corey’s fifth grade classes, who created cityscapes inspired by American pop artist James Rizzo.

“With some students, I was constantly pushing for more detail, more buildings to take up space, more variation in their composition,” she said. “One student, Damian Lowe, just blew me away with his James Rizzi cityscape. While the other students were rushing through it, he really understood the assignment and the meaning behind the life that James Rizzi put into his cityscapes.”

Corey gave him art materials so he could complete his work at home, and he handed it in with a smile. “He is the sweetest kid and really made me understand the reason I became an art teacher,” she said.

Schools participating in Both Ends of the Rainbow include:
• Auburn Enlarged City School District
• Auburn home-schooled students
• Cato-Meridian Central School District
• Creative Minds Montessori School, in Auburn
• Moravia Central School District
• Peachtown Elementary School, in Aurora
• Port Byron Central School District
• Skaneateles Central School District
• Southern Cayuga Central School District
• Union Springs Central School District
• Weedsport Central School District

If you go …

WHAT: “Both Ends of the Rainbow” and “Three Lakes Sampler” exhibits
WHERE: Schweinfurth Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn
WHEN: Feb. 6 through March 12, 2022
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays
ADMISSION: Free
COVID PROTOCOLS: There is no opening reception. Masks are required throughout the art center.