Fertman, Wiley students put the Arts into STEAM

Sculptor Eric Fertman has been working with Wiley Middle art students this week as part of SECCA’s Intersections project.

Students balance their sculpture

The New York-based artist has been working with four eighth-grade art classes and one sixth-grade art class making sculptures based on scholar’s rocks, small naturally occurring rocks traditionally appreciated by Chinese Scholars (Wikipedia).

The students have used objects found on a walk early in the week to create sculptures emerging from bases they created to look like scholar’s rocks.

Patrick Hairston

“We went out to the woods and we walked around,” said eighth-grader Patrick Hairston. “We picked up things that looked natural.”

Back in the classroom, students in teacher Kristen Jones’ classes worked the objects into their sculptures.

Teacher Kristen Jones (r) helps a student

“I love the fact that they get to work with an artist from the art world in New York,” Jones said. “It brings the real world into the class.”

Fertman has an exhibition showing at SECCA called “A Comic Turn” through June 30.

“It’s been amazing,” Fertman said. “I was worried everyone would be staring at me playing cool. It's been really fun.”

Fertman works with a student

Fertman’s time at Wiley will conclude Friday afternoon when the students install their sculptures outside the school.