Penfield students’ artwork honored through long-running Family First partnership

Dr. Maloney, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, opened the Penfield Central School District Arts and Education celebration by describing the district’s long-standing partnership with Family First Federal Credit Union and the annual process for recognizing student artwork.

The program selects one piece of artwork from each elementary school and two pieces from both Bay Trail Middle School and Penfield High School. "Through a donation from Family First, once selected, the artwork is photographed, then that photograph is professionally matted and framed with a plaque recognizing the student, their grade level, and the year," Dr. Maloney said.

Nut graf: The collaboration, running for more than 15 years, gives students districtwide recognition, places student work in a public banking setting for the school year, and returns pieces to individual schools to join each building’s permanent collection.

Program details and logistics were explained onstage: selected works are displayed in the lobby of the Penfield Family First branch for the entire school year; Family First hosts a reception each fall for students and families; and when the school year ends the originals return to their school to be hung in a designated area as part of that school’s permanent arts collection. Dr. Maloney formally thanked Family First for the donation and long-standing collaboration and asked the audience to join in applause.

District staff named for coordinating the program included Mandy Saroise and Sue Vadikin. Nancy Bradstreet, director of communications, was identified as the contact for official district photos after the onstage recognition.

Several teachers and principals introduced student artists and described the work chosen. Examples from the program showcased a range of grades and media: Maura McCarthy (Cobbles Elementary School, kindergarten) was recognized for a gyotaku fish print; Hania Sheikh (Harris Hill Elementary School, fifth grade) was honored for a detailed drawing developed from reference and shading exercises; Shirley Chen (Bay Trail Middle School, sixth grade) was recognized for a dot-based acrylic painting titled The City; and Sage Sivered (Penfield High School, sophomore) was honored for a watercolor from a thematic series that won the Bevere Gallery Award in the RIT Start Here exhibition.

Student Summer Keith described her construction process for an alligator mask: "During the process of making the mask, I had to build from a wolf template already provided. What I managed to do was add paper to the and sculpt a snout to create an alligator face. I added spikes, along the back. For colors, I chose a random shade of green." Brian Garza introduced Keith as an art teacher at Bay Trail Middle School.

The district asked students and families to gather for official photos in the hallway after the ceremony and noted refreshments were available.

Ending: The celebration highlighted the district’s emphasis on partnerships and arts education; framed photographs will hang at the Family First branch during the coming school year, and originals will be incorporated into each school’s permanent collection.