Spark the Imagination

What sparks your imagination?

The Rockwell Museum presents Spark the Imagination in collaboration with high school art teachers: Wendy Brubaker, Sharron Holland, Birgitt Wolf-Peterson and Megan Wukovitz. This exhibition features works of art created by students enrolled in elective arts courses at the Corning-Painted Post High School. Students used their imagination to explore the many facets of how art can tell a story.

Spark the Imagination will be on view in The Rockwell’s Student Gallery from January 13 – March 6, 2022. 

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Artwork in The Rockwell’s collection served as the source of inspiration for students to create their own art and experiment with media, design, artistic processes and techniques. Students were encouraged to think outside the box to thoughtfully incorporate aspects of artwork at The Rockwell into their own unique, expressive ideas. They considered patterns, colors, artistic styles, subject matter and visual narratives during the creative process.

Students were pushed to be fearless and try something new, outside of their comfort zones. Experimenting with different types of materials can be playful and fun and lead to discovering new techniques. Materials are important to the story the artwork tells. In many cases, the choice of medium can contribute to the artist’s or others’ identity.

It was also important for students to be intentional in their artistic choices. Students were encouraged to question why they were drawn to specific works of art and why they chose to explore certain art-making techniques. By fostering an awareness of their choices, we are continuing to motivate students to understand the meaning behind the creative process and the meaningful choices artists make to convey a message or idea. 

Rockwell education staff visited 9 classrooms and connected with approximately 125 students to share about how the Museum has been transforming to bring attention to diverse perspectives and expand who is represented in the galleries. There are many stories and perspectives that can be shared through art. The decisions made about what art is displayed, and how it is displayed impact how people experience and are inspired by art.

The Rockwell values collaborating with the Corning-Painted Post Area School District to cultivate a deeper appreciation and understanding of arts and culture with the youth in our region. By exposing students to the arts and providing an opportunity for students to exhibit their own art at The Rockwell, we aim to inspire and empower the next generation of youth.