Opening night for RSU14 art show exhibits talent from students of all ages - By Michelle Libby

Katie Skvorak

Monday night, the community and art lovers from Windham and Raymond gathered at Windham High School to celebrate arts and music throughout the district. Showing off art that yearly attendees have come to know and love, and demonstrating and displaying new projects and work from painting to sculpture to performances by the Windham Chamber Singers and the third grade chorus from Windham Primary School. 

“This is amazing the work the staff members put in for this,” said Christine Hessler, the director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for RSU14. 

This year’s art show featured new art projects from classes at every grade level.

The new wood sculpture class run by teacher Kim Chasse has been “real successful,” he said. “It offers something to these teenage boys who need to get their hands on stuff. Power tools, chisels. It really filled a void here.” The projects like sculptures, identity walking sticks and totem poles were a nice addition to the show. 

 

“There are some amazing pieces at each grade level and the variety is astonishing,” said Superintendent Sandy Prince. “I like the clay pieces. It’s great for the parents and kids to see the work. We do so much for other areas, it’s great to showcase the arts.” 

Another artist, Brad Randall, turned his passion for mixed martial arts into artwork about balance. “The work that goes into sculpting a piece is simplistic yet arduous. The pieces that come out are so interestingly different from what goes in that I feel they need to be different from the original even in terms of how the piece stands,” Randall said in his essay “Inside the Mind”. 

“A rainy day makes a great turn out,” said high school principal Chris Howell as he welcomed the attendees. “It’s great to see the faces that go with the artwork,” he added. 

 

Manchester School art teacher Angelika Blanchard felt the whole show came together really well and said that they were able to fit in what they had for art, but this year had more projects and next year they will need to find more tables. 

The art show was open every evening until Friday.