City Hall hosts show for elementary, middle school student art
Date: 4/21/2010
April 21, 2010.By Debbie Gardner
Assistant Managing Editor
CHICOPEE -- A steady stream of young artists and their proud families visited the main corridor at City Hall last Thursday night as Mayor Michael Bissonnette and his staff played host at an art reception for city students.
More than 80 works produced by students from Barry, Bowe, Bowie, Selser, Stefanik and Streiber elementary schools and Bellamy and Fairview middle schools were included in the display.
According to Selser elementary school art teacher Doreen Crescione, she and her fellow teachers were allowed to select 10 works to represent their students. Among the pieces she brought was a drawing by grade two student Alejandros Rios.
"His was the only second grade work I chose," Crescione told Reminder Publications as a proud Rios and his family showed off his endeavors.
Barry art teacher Regina Hoyt said her school hosted its own art show last year "but it's different here. It's in a public place."
"It's nice to get [the student's art] out there," she added.
"We've had such an overwhelming positive response from people walking down the hall. [They're ] saying it's so colorful," Heather Canady, special projects manager for the mayor, said. Canady added she had assisted the art teachers in hanging the student artwork earlier in the day.
According to Crescione, Canady was also instrumental in bringing the student's art to City Hall.
"We were very lucky. [Heather] pulled it together so we had a place to show our artwork," Crescione said. She explained that another veune had fallen through at the last minute.
"We usually feature local artists [in our hallway] and we had a lull," Canady explained. "So we said 'Sure, come on.' We even offered to host a reception."
Crescione credited Bellamy art teacher Sue Balboni with the initial idea to host a city-wide art show for elementary and middle school students.
"We just wanted to show what our students do," Balboni said, adding that the high school has been hosting well-attended studen art shows for some time. "We're surprised so many people came. The children are really excited.
