Patchogue-Medford art students teamed up with Thred boutique and New Village at Patchogue Saturday to draw attention to a coat drive at Thred that’s running through Dec. 20.
The students got together for an art installation — called a “yarn bomb” — outside Thred to draw attention to the drive — and liven up the Village Green for winter.
Using textiles from Thred, the students cobbled together colorful panels and decorated all the benches in the square.
“As a whole, this project has really shown students that we are a community and we are here to support one another. And what better way to show our support than through what we love: art?” said Patchogue-Medford High School art teacher Amy Cunningham.
Thred has already collected dozens of coats in the effort.
“Alongside the art installation, while we’re wrapping the benches, we’re also wrapping people who need coats,” said Thred’s owner, Merav Shiloni.
Anyone with a coat could drop it off at Thred, located at 7 Village Green.
Shiloni is also a Pat-Med graduate and a former high school art student herself.
“There’s a lot of themes at work here, that includes shopping local, providing a warm coat, giving back to your local high school, and helping to celebrate entrepreneurship and the arts,” said Chris Kelly of Tritec Real Estate Company, the builders of New Village.
“A lot of things came together to make it a neat idea,” Kelly said.
One panel for the benches was a dedication to student Sean Dixon who lost his battle to cancer and would have been be graduating this year.
“We could not have created these pieces without the help of Merav Shiloni, she donated much of the necessary materials,” said Cunningham. “Also, a big shout-out to Chris Kelly and Kayla Erb for coming up with the idea … to promote awareness about the coat drive as well.”
cover photo by Hunter Fucci;
below photos by Elizabeth Niemiec
Click here for more photos from the high school’s photography club.
