By EVAN SILVERA
This past February, Jericho High School students involved in the A.P. Studio Art program had their work displayed at the Jericho Public Library. Students and members of the art community alike were enthused to see such a strong display of creative talent for public viewing. Nineteen students, ranging from grades 9 to 12, contributed to the first annual A.P. Studio Art exhibition, which was established by Lauren Goldstein, current Jericho High School senior and president of the JHS Art Club.
Goldstein explained how she came up with the idea to showcase the students’ artwork, “I thought that it would be really cool if we could have an art show at the Jericho Library to showcase the artwork that the students do here because it really doesn’t get a lot of recognition.” Goldstein, along with A.P. Studio Art teacher, Laura Gilfedder, worked diligently to process, prepare, and set up the show. “I got in touch with the events coordinator at the library last year and I reserved the date for February of 2014, and we started to plan it at the beginning of this year,” Goldstein said. “Ms. Gilfedder and I printed, matted, and framed all the pieces, and I went to the library and hung them up.”
Morgan Hamerman, a senior and student in Ms. Gilfedder’s A.P. Studio Art class, described how it felt to have her work publicly viewed at the exhibit: “When Lauren came into my art class and told us that we had the opportunity to have our work displayed in an exhibition at the library, I was definitely interested in doing it,” Hamerman said. “When my work was actually hung up, it was really cool to see it on public display. This was the first time I’ve ever had my artwork in an exhibition, and it was really exciting to see.”
Ms. Gilfedder and those involved in the A.P. Studio Art program are excited to make the art show an annual event, and, especially, to give the hardworking students in the art program the appreciation that they deserve from the Jericho community. The art show will continue to honor students with great artistic talent each year through such public displays at the library.
