Paintings created by students from the Tyree Learning Center have been on display for the past few weeks at the Sea Cliff Library.
The students have worked on this collective body of artwork for almost a year with the center’s art teacher, Jenna DiPietro. The 40-year-old Sea Cliff woman has been teaching students at the center for over 13 years.
Each class attended art twice per week and their projects were adapted to best meet their individual needs according to DiPietro. She added that students work at drastically different levels and paces, so building accommodations and adaptations into the art making process helped them achieve personal success.
Projects are designed around weekly and monthly themes within the center’s curriculum, which is also mirrored in their respective classrooms. The body of artwork on display features projects built around seasons, holidays, art history, and a focus on the work of renowned artists such as Paul Klee and Alma Thomas.
DiPietro explained that she believed her student's hard work deserved a platform in which their efforts could be displayed for their community, leading her to seek out the help of the Sea Cliff Arts Council.
“I knew contacting them for this special show would allow our students an opportunity to shine,” DiPietro said. “Showcasing their abilities instead of their disabilities.”
After bringing the proposal to the council DiPietro worked closely with Meaghan Travis, chief operating artist, to begin preparing the exhibit.
“Every single one of the artists in our community brings an amazing tool kit of experience and emotion to their projects,” Travis said. “The creativity shows through in the works and I love to see it,”
Dipetro described the culmination of her students’ artwork on display in such a beautiful space as the Sea Cliff Library, is a complete honor.
“Being able to display their efforts and then take a step back to view it all framed and curated was a humbling moment for me as their art teacher,” Dipetro said. While she has two of her own children, the emotional investment she has put into her program
has led her also to view her students as her kids.
Dipetro added that her program is an intense, continuous journey in which tests or grades don’t measure achievement. Success happens slowly, and she said that the staff works tirelessly to help students achieve their goals daily, monthly, and yearly.
Dipetro, believes that having this opportunity to highlight the efforts of one of the most underserved populations is a beautiful way to shine a light on children and adolescents that are often forgotten.
“Our school and students exist, their personalities are big, and their hearts are even bigger,” Dipetro said. “They deserve love, attention, and support,”
