Westport Schools Spark Art

The Westport Music Department has its Pops and Candlelight Concerts. Staples Players, and the middle and elementary schools, welcome Westporters to their musicals and other shows.

But for a while, few Westporters have seen our young artists’ great work.

An annual art show at Town Hall ended even before COVID. And though each school hangs student art in their halls, it’s not accessible to the public.

That lack of opportunity sparked an idea. Soon — thanks to a partnership with MoCA Westport — an intriguing array of paintings, photography, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry and more will hang on that gallery’s walls.

Staples High School student drawing.

“Spark” — denoting creative ideas — opens this Sunday (June 12, with a reception from noon to 2 p.m. Staples students will sell handmade pottery there, as a fundraiser.

The show runs through June 19, during regular MoCA hours.

Art from the Bedford Middle School Comic Book Club.

Teachers at each school were free to decide what to choose, and how to present it.

Staples High School photography class: fast shutter speed.

Bedford Middle School, for example, will include pieces from their Arts Collective, which meets before school. Coleytown Middle will include the proscenium from their “SpongeBob” musical, which students helped design.

Coleytown Middle School proscenium.

Each elementary school will be represented by one piece of art from each grade. Together, they’ll spotlight the breadth of arts education in Westport.

Art from a Long Lots Elementary School 5th grader.

But wait! There’s more!

Bedford videographer Ryan Smith and townwide arts department administrator Liz Shaffer interviewed students in the show about their work, and art in general. The 7-minute video will be shown at MoCa,

It’s outstanding. The youngsters’ insights are very impressive — and they express themselves artistically.

Staples High students are helping design the “Spark” show, including hanging, branding and social media — giving them literal “hands-on” experience producing an art show.

“This is a very cool space, in a real gallery setting,” says town-wide arts coordinator Steve Zimmerman.

Student musicians and actors: Move over. Starting Sunday, the cultural stage belongs to our young artists.

(For more information, click here.)

Remember: “06880” runs entirely on donations. Click here to contribute!