Pingry Students Beautify Downtown Summit
May 10, 2005

At the invitation of the New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, located in Summit, the Lower School students planned on painting store front windows to herald spring. However, April showers got the better of the plans, so the entire operation was moved into the new NJ Center for Visual Arts building, where the students painted on canvas pieces that will be hung in the store windows and sent to various hospitals and care centers. Pingry alumna and current parent Susan Welch ’77, and Lower School art teacher Arlene Rosenblum both serve on the board of directors for the center. They invited the Pingry students to be the guest artists for the beautification project. According to Mrs. Rosenblum, “The response was overwhelming. So many of my students wanted to participate.” Students had several rooms staffed by the arts center volunteers and employees and equipped with paints, brushes, and canvases where they could let their creative juices flow. Soon the hallway floors were decorated with pictures of flowers, birds, trees, and families which laid waiting to dry. When the students were finished with their masterpiece, each left a handprint on a large canvas in thanks of the workers’ time and efforts. According to Sue Welch, some of the artwork will be donated to the children’s ward of the local hospitals and the senior citizens center. She noted that the center offers classes in the various visual arts. For more information, please visit www.njcva.org. © 2005 The Pingry School