Words of wisdom

Students and parents gathered at the unveiling of a new collaborative piece of art, created with the help of Bellows Falls teaching artist Mark Ragonese, that now adorns the Riverside Middle School auditorium.

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2016-09-17 / Front Page Words of wisdom Students, staff collaborate with artist on art project to inspire others By TORY JONES BONENFANT toryb@eagletimes.com Students and parents gather at the unveiling of a new collaborative piece of art, created with the help of Bellows Falls teaching artist Mark Ragonese, that now adorns the Riverside Middle School auditorium. — TORY JONES BONENFANT Students and parents gather at the unveiling of a new collaborative piece of art, created with the help of Bellows Falls teaching artist Mark Ragonese, that now adorns the Riverside Middle School auditorium. — TORY JONES BONENFANT SPRINGFIELD — About 150 students, parents, and staff gathered on Thursday, Sept. 15 at Riverside Middle School for an open house that culminated in an unveiling of a student collective art piece, a project created in conjunction with Bellows Falls artist Mark Ragonese. The artwork, which Ragonese described as a “tree of beautiful thought,” has been mounted on a wall in the school auditorium. It was unveiled after students and parents were treated by staff volunteers to a barbecue and took a tour of the classrooms. The completed art project is an approximately 7-foot, painted flat wooden tree, resplendent with decoupaged and painted paper “leaves” with encouraging words. Students at the middle school worked on the project for the first three days of school with Ragonese as part of an advisory council. The artwork is “designed to capture student aspirations and words of wisdom to pass on,” according to Assistant Principal Nathan McNaughton. “Every student and staff member in this building had a piece,” and worked on the project, he said. The school has about 250 students this year, according to McNaughton. Each participant added words from the heart, such as “New Beginnings,” “Family,” “Dream Big,” “Dance,” “Faith,” and “Embrace the Weird.” They also added golden and colorful painted accents, drawings and other personal details to their leaves. Each student made one to bring home and one to contribute to the artist project. Ragonese brought all of the leaves back to his studio and pieced together the final creation on plywood signboard, adding finishing touches before returning it to the school this week. McNaughton and Principal Steve Cone said staff had carefully brought in the piece of art, all in one piece, and mounted it on the wall before covering it with a large sheet of paper for the big reveal in front of the gathered students and parents. Ragonese attended and spoke to the audience, praising the students for being “respectful, polite and eager.” Ragonese is a teaching artist, furniture maker, master woodworker, multi-media artist and sculptor with 30 years of experience. He studied at the University of New Hampshire with Daniel Valenza and later served as studio technician and adjunct faculty. He has been a juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen since 1983. His work has been on display at the Society of Arts and Craft in Boston and in galleries in New York and Philadelphia. He has also been a rostered artist with the NH State Council on the Arts and Very Special Arts since 1991. Ragonese said that each of the leaves were made from manilla folders, a traditional school staple. McNaughton said that Riverside Middle School got to know Ragonese last year when he volunteered to lead a mini-course with the school’s guidance counselor, creating a temporary sculpture designed to “release students’ wishes for a better world.” Each year, he and Cone look for a way to “start the new year by creating an atmosphere at Riverside of connectedness to the community,” McNaughton said. They began the collaborative start-of-year projects two years ago. “This year, we looked hard to find a way for students to capture their beginning of the year aspirations in such a way that they could be reminded of and pass on to future students that enter Riverside,” he said. Cone said he was very happy with the turnout on Thursday, and that it is “critical” that parents stay involved with and take part in the school community.