The artwork included in Community Day School’s (CDS) Student Art Show at the American Jewish museum, organized by CDS art teacher Jeremy Lerner, reverberates with playful exploration and buoyant energy.

The works are based on curriculum around aesthetics, the principles and elements of design, and analysis of the methods and concepts artists throughout history have used. Some of the student artists reference specific artists including Constantin Brancusi, Claes Oldenberg, Umberto Boccioni and Keith Haring in the wide array of media that includes wire and clay sculpture, mixed media collage, prints, aluminum repousse.

Sixth grader Ada Perlman in a vision statement explained her Art Boxes as a representation of her family. She likens her family to a civilization “because a civilization has a government and they have to stick together.”

The show is a testament of how students, encouraged to think about materials, craftsmanship, process and technique, can synthesize ideas and meaning in their creative expression.

We’re accustomed to museums displaying the work of artists who have achieved the credentials, training, and experience to merit examination. We typically experience objects in a museum setting that are finely polished, skillfully constructed, and thoughtfully produced by professional makers who have worked out the kinks and rough edges.

This exhibition takes a different approach, however, and explores the very sources that students are exposed to early on that foment expression and creativity. What excites me about hosting this project is that it’s obvious when walking through the gallery that students approached these assignments with enthusiasm, openness and curiosity. We hope you come enjoy the results.