Art Show Celebrates Work of East Lansing Students

Above: Monet Water Lily Pond, Evie Laxton

The East Lansing Public Schools have announced the opening of their annual art exhibit at (Scene) Metrospace on May 12, 2017. The show is a multi-media collection of drawings, painting, weavings, ceramics and other creative projects explored by students. The schools represented are Donley Elementary School, Glencairn Elementary School, Marble Elementary School, Pinecrest Elementary School, Whitehills Elementary School and MacDonald Middle School. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade give a glimpse of their talent and the creativeness and inspiration of their art teachers.

Marble art teacher Sabrina Arceo explained the use of (Scene) and this year’s timing of the show. “When the East Lansing Public Library closed for renovations in 2015, we knew we would not be holding the show there during the 2016-2017 school year. We looked for alternatives. By the time we found (Scene) last year, the only slot left was February.” The library has not reopened any gallery space, so once again in 2017, they needed a locale.

Above: Pop Art Portrait, AJ Heideman

Jacquelynn Sullivan, Director of Galleries at MSU’s Art Department told me the school show in February of 2016 was a big success. “We scheduled them again for the following year. This time, our calendar was wide open so between us, we chose May.” Both Sullivan and Arceo are excited about the timing. “This year the show will run through the East Lansing Arts Festival Weekend and June 3, which is Be a Tourist in Your Own Town day,” explained Arceo. Sullivan added, “Foot traffic will be wonderful. We plan to offer some make-and-take craft, possibly in conjunction with the Broad Museum during one or both dates. We want to base that on the student art ideas here.”

This reporter visited (Scene) as the show was being hung. Gallery interns from the Art department at MSU were laying out the 2-D works, arranging and rearranging. It was fun to see my 4^th grade grandson’s Warhol-style Self-Portrait already up, along with three of his classmate’s paintings. When I asked him how it felt to be included in the show, I got a big smile and a thumbs up.

Above: Parrot Watercolor, Omolola Fore Ogunfolabi

Many of the 3-D pieces were already in place. If you go, look for a trio of tiny ceramic birdbaths sweet enough for any fairy garden. Marble students contributed clever food sculptures, now incognito on a lunch table.

The exhibit is very much a community effort. The black mats for the 150 plus 2-D pieces were provided by Walmart via a grant. The exhibit is also supported by the MSU Department of Art, Art History and Design which operates and programs (Scene) Metrospace. The East Lansing art educators who organized this exhibit are: Eileen Sturm (Exhibit Chair, 2016-2017) Sabrina Arceo, Diane Olmstead, Sarah Ruttman, Jacqueline Carroll, Kelly Yerby, and Lauren Engler.

Above: Radial Design, Embeth Hall

If you go:

Cost: free

Dates: May 12-June 4

Hours: Thursday 3-7 PM, Friday 1-7 PM, Saturday and Sunday 12-5 PM

(Scene) Metrospace is located under the colorful parking ramp at 110 Charles Street