FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com JUNE 9, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 11 Art for Thought: Ridgewood students display collaborative artwork in Forest Park BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected]/@QueensCourier Students and faculty from Ridgewood’s P.S. 75 gathered on June 6 to celebrate the public exhibition of their artwork at Forest Park. In collaboration with Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LeAp), sixth-grade students from P.S. 75 worked together to hone their creativity and express their concerns about the issues that affect their community. “The program is an in-school program during the school day,” said LeAp founder Alexandra Leff. “It starts in late January in the school, and our teaching artists work with the classroom teachers to deliver the program.” LeAp’s Public Art Program is in its ninth year and seeks to encourage middle school students in all fi ve boroughs to voice their ideas and interact with their communities through art. P.S. 75 and nearby I.S. 77 were the two Queens schools involved with the project this year. At the beginning of the program, students and teachers discuss what social issues they have observed Students from P.S. 75Q pose at their art benches with school administrators and LeAp Director Alexandra Leff. within their communities and learn about the history of public art as a means of communication. After these discussions, the students decide which issues they would like to tackle and begin their artistic process. “Ultimately, they create these collaborative murals using the surfaces of a cafeteria table to express themselves,” Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi Leff said. “Once they fi nd their issue, they research it, and they come up with a message.” P.S 75’s bench mural, entitled “SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING,” addresses issues of bullying, apathy and gun violence using photography, painting and canvas paper. In collaboration with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, each of the 10 schools involved will have their fi nal arttable pieces displayed in a city park within its neighborhood. “It feels good,” said student-artist Jhamari Joe. “It’s a chance to feel, ‘Finally, we get to shine, and have somebody hear our thoughts.’” Fellow student Elias Melendez also felt empowered by the project. “We’re trying to tell the people, that if you see something, you must say something,” said Melendez. Melendez also said the project has sparked an interest in painting, and he hopes to continue to develop his skills. “It makes me feel confi dent,” said student-artist Jeremiah Meredith. “When people see the table, I want to express to them how confi dent you can be if you just do the right thing without having to be reminded or told.” The art table will be on display June through August and can be found by entering the Forest Park Drive and 80th Street entrance of the park. For more information about the program, visit leapnyc.org. Great rates like ours are always in season. 1.40% 24-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit To qualify you must open a Flushing Bank Complete Checking Plus account. Get the complete access and control you desire with a competitive interest rate and banking on-the-go with our Flushing Bank Mobile2 app. For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. 1 New money only. APY effective May 10, 2016. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. A new Complete Checking Plus account with a $5,000 minimum initial deposit is required to receive the CD with the advertised rate. Certain fees and restrictions may apply. For new IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $5,000. A new checking account is not required for IRA accounts. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details. 2 Flushing Bank Mobile Banking is available to all Flushing Bank online banking users. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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