Published: March 31, 2009 11:50 pm      

SCHOOLS: Barker High School holds sculpture balloting

BARKER — Sometime in the near future, a student-created sculpture will be placed in front of Barker High School to welcome all visitors.

What that sculpture will be is up to the Barker community. Residents within the Barker School District can choose from four different creations, made by students Tim Flanagan, Dilan Chrysafides, Shannon Mangan and Alex Rasmussen in teacher Melissa Bowman’s college portfolio art class. The creations were a part of a project Bowman heard about called “Sculpting our Community.”

“I took a graduate class last year,” she said. “It focuses on art in the community.”

Sculpting Our Community allowed Bowman’s art students to meet local professional sculptor Simon Griffis. Griffis’ father, Larry, founded Griffis Sculpture Park in Ashford Hollow, which the students were able to visit earlier in the year. Students were able to see sculpting up close and learn some ways to sculpt their own creations. Griffis will also work with the students.

“They got to see the studio,” Bowman said. “They also were able to learn the business end. Not only did they design it, but they learned to sell their project.”

The goal of the project was to create a sculpture that will remain as a permanent welcoming piece for the Barker school and community. In order to pick which of the four will represent Barker as that piece, the community will vote. Students will have the opportunity to vote at school, while Barker school staff, faculty and community members will have an opportunity to vote online at the district’s Web site, www.barkercsd.net. On the site are views of the sculptures from different angles, as well as voting instructions. Ballots will also be available at The Barker Store, 8671 Main Street or Pizza Wings and Things, 1693 Quaker Road in Barker.

Having a sculpture wouldn’t just welcome people to the school but would also recognize programs such as the arts.

“The arts are strong and a lot of schools have similar structures,” Bowman said. “This has an opportunity to last forever.”

The voting began last week and is off to a good start, Bowman added.

The winning sculpture, which the district is hoping to be completed by the end of the school year, will be placed in front of the Herbert F. Ludwig Auditorium at Barker High School on Quaker Road. Upon completion there will be an unveiling ceremony where the school, community and sponsors will be invited to attend.

After about four or five sketches, each student created an original design as a proposal for the final sculpture piece. The designs were then made from cardboard to see if they could stand on their own, as well as seeing what shadows the sculptures would cast. Then came the welding and plasma cutting to turn steel into the student’s designs. The whole process started back in February.

“They also had to learn to stay within a budget,” Bowman said. “Dilan had a great design, but it cost five times as much as the others.”

The students enjoyed the whole process, even though they had little experience with such a project.

“It was awesome, a fun time,” Flanagan said.

“Usually we paint or draw, it was cool to see it as a piece and not in 2-D,” Mangan said.

Bowman said community sponsors have provided donations in order to make the project successful. They include Gordie Harper’s Bazaar, Parco Building Systems, Pizza Wings and Things, The Barker Store, Rutland-Corwin Funeral Home, Roberts Roofing and Siding, Hy-Tech Concrete, AES, Shoreline Fruit, Pusateri and Fitzgerald Law Firm, the offices of Potempa, Dick, and Riad, Newfane General Contracting, HSBC and Ontario Shores.

Fundraising is still a work in progress, any other businesses or individuals who would like to contribute are asked to contact Bowman at Barker High School, 795-3201, extension 5182.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.