Norwalk Students Exhibit Work At Silvermine In New Canaan

NORWALK, Conn. – Mayor Harry Rilling joined community members recently at the Silvermine Arts Center to celebrate an exhibition of photography and poetry created by students in the Norwalk Housing Authority’s after-school program.

NHA student artists pose with teacher Lillie Fortino, Silvermine Educational Outreach Director Sophia Gevas, Mayor Rilling, and NHA After-School Program Director Wendy Gerbier (far right) at an exhibition of their work at the Silvermine Arts Center.
Photo Credit: *Courtesy of Silvermine Arts Center*

Mayor Rilling with student artists at the Silvermine Arts Center
Photo Credit: *Courtesy of Silvermine Arts Center*

Students from the Norwalk Housing Authority's after-school program showcase their work at the Silvermine Arts Center.
Photo Credit: *Courtesy of Silvermine Arts Center*

by Javier Simon

02/05/2015 5:00 a.m.

The gallery features work by sixth-graders Kimberly Castillo, Sanaiah Dickson, Samira Velez and Samantha Velez; seventh-graders Andreya Stokes and Joshua Garcia; and eighth-grader Angeline Moresca.

These students visited the Silvermine Arts Center in 2014 to study the creative style of artist James Flora with Silvermine’s Educational Outreach Director Sophia Gevas. They returned the following day with the task of photographing performances at ArtsFest in a style that reflected the playful aspects of Flora’s work.

Previously, the students had been provided cameras and instruction in photojournalistic and abstract styles. They also practiced with layers in Adobe Photo Shop.

“They were playing with different ways of balancing the composition,” said Lillie Fortino, who teaches photography in the NHA after-school program. “They learned about the rule of thirds— a composition method. You imagine the work broken up into thirds so you can see where you want pieces of your image to land.”

The children also studied poetry with Teaching Artist Page McBrier, an author of numerous books for young readers. She taught them two styles of poetry, which influenced the poems they wrote to accompany their photographs.

The NHA produced a photo book on the multimedia project as well as a video of McBrier leading a creative workshop for the students.

Since 1992, Silvermine Arts Center's Art Partners Program has connected professional teaching artists with under-resourced students in Norwalk and Stamford. Learn more at the organization’s website.

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