A Night at the Ranney Museum

Lower and Middle School students proudly showed off their artistic talents on February 19, during the Night at the Ranney Museum art event. The various displays featured the work of students using a variety of unique mediums and techniques. For students, creating their pieces also incorporated lessons in art history, where the works of well known artists were explored and interpreted, as well as lessons in geometry that required students to think beyond the obvious and use their creative solving skills to make a particular project work.

From giraffe and face drawings made using basic shapes to bold and colorful hot air balloon pictures, artwork welcomed guests all along the Early Childhood Education Center hallway and into the Lower School Academic Complex. With the guiding hand of art teacher Victoria Chriss, Ranney’s youngest students, Beginners through kindergarten, couldn’t have been more excited about showing their parents their handmade creations. For many this was their first time participating in Ranney’s annual Night at the Ranney Museum.

Under the guidance of art teacher Barbara Levine, 1st grade students presented small sculptures based on the artwork of the Spanish surrealist painter and sculptor, Joan Miro, while 2nd graders painted beautiful and colorful flowers using Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “Sunflowers” as inspiration. In 3rd grade, students created abstract collages and in 4th grade students painted Chinese Bamboo pictures. For these, Cynthia Ni, Ranney’s Mandarin Chinese teacher, demonstrated for Mrs. Levine the traditional techniques and materials used by master Chinese painters, which were then introduced to the class with beautiful results. Tessellations were created by 5th graders using designs based on the mathematical art of M.C. Escher. The creation of tessellations included lessons in optical illusion and incorporated geometry as a way to make tessellating shapes (shapes that fit together like a puzzle).

The artwork produced by the Middle School was created by students who are currently enrolled in art classes under the direction of art teacher Beverly Sirianni. Following a lesson on Viking culture and writing methods, 6th graders fashioned reproductions of Viking shields and runes that spelled out their names as well as small Viking sculptures displayed on pedestals. Sixth grade students also produced animal creations based on traditional Mexican tin sculpture. The work of Albrecht Durer and Georgia O’Keefe inspired 7th graders to draw and paint hands in acrylic, and 8th graders exhibited charcoal drawings similar to prehistoric cave paintings found in Lascaux, France.

No matter the age of the student artist, A Night at the Ranney Museum was a spectacular demonstration of talent and creativity, and clearly the parents in attendance agreed as accolades and compliments were heard throughout the evening.

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.