Fraser-Woods Art Show

By Eliza Hallabeck

Students attending the Fraser-Woods Montessori School have been appreciating the work of different artists this school year, and this past weekend the school opened its doors for Newtown residents to view the latest exhibit at the school.

Artwork by Rob Wilstein and Dave Boyajian was hung and put for exhibition in the main hallways of the school. Art teacher Christine Mitchell said students have been studying the art for the past week, but the wine and cheese reception on Friday, November 7, was to introduce parents and community members to the work.

Mr Wilstein’s work consisted of oil paintings done on gesso board, and Ms Mitchell describes them as impressionistic type landscapes. Mr Wilstein lives in Boston and drove down for the open reception.

Mr Boyajian, the co-owner of the Sculpture Garden in New Fairfield, had sculptures and drawings both on exhibit in the school.

“The idea is we are living with this artwork,” said Ms Mitchell.

Students’ artistic reactions to past and present artwork in the school are also displayed along school walls.

Ms Mitchell said the work by Mr Wilstein and Mr Boyajian have already been studied by some students. Throughout each grade, students are given different assignments and asked to view the artwork in different ways.

Drawings by younger students are done as a reaction to how they feel about the artwork, and older students may be asked to recreate the images by doing color studies, cutting out paper and producing another image of the same art.

Studying the art in the classrooms has been great, Ms Mitchell said.               

“The goal of this whole project is to introduce the artist to the kids,” Ms Mitchell said.

During an interim period between having artists exhibit work, she said, the school felt bleak. Ms Mitchell said students have really been responding to the art in their surroundings.

“It’s about creating a whole dialogue between parents and students, and the artists and students,” said Ms Mitchell, “and about drawing in the whole community.”

Since the start of the year Ms Mitchell said some students have written letters to the artists.

“They’re working with the pieces as much as possible,” Ms Mitchell said.       

Myriam Woods, the head of the school, said this year has been a combination of all the arts the school has embraced.

“This is my dream,” said Ms Woods. “[Ms Mitchell] is fulfilling my dream.”

Ms Mitchell said other classes, not just art classes, have been incorporating the artwork. In humanities classes students write about the work; in music class students create music as a reaction to how the art would sound, she said.

“The parents of our school embrace the arts,” said Ms Mitchell.

Mr Wilstein has already worked with the students in the classes, and he said they were great.

“The way my paintings work,” said Mr Wilstein, “is people see different things in them.”

The gallery brochure at Fraser-Woods describes Mr Wilstein’s work as his response to the physical world outside. It describes Mr Boyajian’s work as relating to the relationship between humans and the physical environment.

Both artists said it has been a great experience to work with Ms Mitchell and the students at Fraser-Woods School.

Students visited Mr Boyajian at his studio last spring, and he said a lot of what he talks about with students is the inspiration behind the artwork.

Other things the students will be doing with artwork as it continues to line the walls of Fraser-Woods School will include a docent day for grandparents later this month.