Students create display at Mars school library
ADAMS TWP — A group of student artists have created a piece of thought-provoking art in the Mars High School library that pays homage to the work of a Japanese artist.
Samantha Papik, Kelly Wilkerson, Emily Scaletta, Morgan Keys and Emily Weaver teamed up over the past few months to hang the meticulous installation, which is based on the work of internationally recognized artist Chiharu Shiota’s “Trace Memory.”
The school’s art students earlier this year participated in a field trip to the Mattress Factory museum in Pittsburgh, where Shiota’s work is on exhibit.
The students’ piece at the library incorporates a thick web of tangled yarn that cocoons around objects meant to represent memories of past events.
“Utilizing the ideas of contemporary artists helps us to build and expand our personal aesthetic,” said Keyes.
The students’ installation at the library uses yarn that is connected from the floor to ceiling to create a tunnel in a corner of the library.
Open books are hung throughout the yarn to appear as if they fell and were caught in a web.
Weaver noted that the team had to devise creative ways to anchor the yarn to the ceiling, walls and floor. The process, she said, caused incidental learning for the students.
“This installation helped us learn how to solve problems that occurred during the working process and improvise when something went wrong,” Weaver said.
“This was a very difficult challenge ...(but) creating this piece was an interesting and eye-opening experience.”
Assistant principal Lindsay Rosswog said, “I think it’s a very impressive feat and a true testament to our students’ hard work and ability.”
The piece in the library, and all the diverse artwork in the building throughout the school year, benefits the entire student body, she said.
“It’s exposure to new information and medias that students might not be able to see elsewhere,” she said.
Rosswog also credited art teacher Erin Sloane for her years of guidance in the high school’s art department.
“Erin Sloane is an amazing educator who has not only brought this project to life, but many exposures to art over the years,” Rosswog said.
