The Storm King School Builder’s Club, a group of young artists and sculptors, meets each year during the winter months in search of their next inspiration. Their quest is to create an outdoor art installation that represents both themselves and the School. The students work throughout the winter and spring to gather materials and build their creation. Their sculpture is initially erected on campus and later travels to make its debut at the annual Collaborative Concepts Exhibition at Saunders Farm the following fall.

2018 Builder’s Club artists included Huanran Dorothy Mao ‘20, Siyu Gloria Wang ‘19, Xuechun Iris Zhang ‘19, Emily Elizabeth Kent ‘21, and Class of 2018 graduates Grace Song, Nancy Fan, and Richard Kong.

Saunders Farm, a 140-acre organic cow farm located in Garrison, NY, has provided space for Collaborative Concepts’ exhibits for more than a decade. Storm King was invited for the fourth year in a row as the only entry representing student artwork among more than 70 adult artists. The exhibition’s opening reception took place on Saturday, September 1, with a mid-run reception coming up on Saturday, September 22. The exhibition will be ongoing through the end of October.

 

 

According to SKS’ Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair Mr. John Carruthers, available materials play an important part in inspiring each year’s work. “The group began by using a large, Art Deco-style wrought iron mirror provided by an SKS staff member. We liked the mirror and were inspired by the elaborate vegetal designs surrounding it,” he explains. “The season’s cold weather was also behind the idea for the piece. Last winter was long and challenging for the students, and we were all really looking forward to spring. So, we thought it would be cool to illustrate a student leaping into spring through the mirror. That’s why the sculpture is called Spring Break.”

“The rest of the materials are all repurposed. The figure of the student is made from chicken wire which was left over from previous years. The back of the figure is dressed in an adapted school uniform, and the front is woven with reused plastic flowers. The box itself is made of repurposed wood decking, so hopefully, it will last a long time,” continues Mr. Carruthers. “Another bonus is that the box-like structure fit exactly in the back of our big blue truck – an important lesson learned from past years.”