by Alyssa Vera |
Patchogue-Medford art students took to Main Street earlier this month to make autumn even more colorful for Patchogue villagers.
The students painted pumpkins, corn stalks, trees and changing leaves across the storefront windows of 13 businesses for the first-ever Art on Main project.
“The whole idea behind Art on Main Street in Patchogue is to showcase our talented art students outside of a venue that’s not the classroom,” said Mark Stuckey, the district’s director of cultural arts.
The project involved middle schoolers and high schoolers, including several AP Studio Art students.
Among them was Maha Nayyer, a sophomore AP student at the high school.
“I started taking art classes in sixth grade, but I loved art since I was even younger than that,” said Maha.
The 15-year-old’s work now decorates David’s Shoe Emporium at 66 East Main Street.
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It took about 10 days to cover the 13 participating businesses in color. The students made a push to get all the paintings done before this past Saturday’s Pat-Med homecoming parade through the village.
“The artwork is homecoming-based, but we also wanted to tie in the fall season,” said Stuckey.
That means footballs and red and black Pat-Med logos can also be found amid the pumpkins and corn stalks.
Finest Fitness health club owner Stephen Curran, who counts several high school students among his membership, said he was happy to offer up the gym’s windows for canvasses.
“I thought it was pretty cool to get the kids outside the classroom and do something hands-on and creative like that,” Curran said. “I’ve been here 12 years so I have a lot of kids who worked out here in high school are now well into their careers, the trades, or going to graduate schools. It’s just an awesome age to get involved.”
Stucky said he had sought out the blessing of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce before contacting the businesses.
“People were already complementing our [the students’] paintings as soon as we started,” he said.
The project was made possible with the help of a Pat-Med parent group called “The Friends of Art and Music Education, or FAME, which paid for all all the art supplies.
The businesses were pleased with the results.
“My art teacher, Ms. Gladd, got tons of phone calls and e-mails from the stores saying they loved our paintings!” said Nayyer.
Photos come courtesy of Patchogue-Medford School District.
