Three Mayfield art students selected
February 15, 2011
Sebastian Mera credits the advance art program – and his teacher Jeremy
Lebediker – at Mayfield Jr. /Sr. High school for helping him manage his
dyslexia. He sees the class as a place to escape the difficulties he has
reading; a place to hone his talent and explore his
creativity.
And he’s already achieved some success.
The Mimosa Gallery in Saratoga Springs selected Mera along with senior Schuyler Schur, and junior Josh Carey to participate in its "Two By Two" exhibit, running March 2 through April 18. The show features work by two related artists (think student/teacher) with half of the proceeds going toward the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Saratoga Springs.
Sebastian painted a duck in acrylics while Josh created a pastel drawing titled “Loving Cup” inspired by the band Phish. Meanwhile, Schuyler created a charcoal drawing.
In the past, Sebastian has shown his work at the Fulton County Art Show (FCAS) and NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest.
“It’s awesome to have my work in a gallery because not many people get that chance,” he said. “Mr. Lebediker helps me with my work in so many different ways and he encourages us to get our projects into shows. He is the reason I want to go to school to be an art teacher.”
In recent years, students from the advanced art program have enjoyed success, from receiving awards and seeing their work appear in galleries, to even being commissioned for work. Last year, Mayfield students won eight out of 18 awards at the FCAS.
J
ennifer
Little, a student in Mr. Lebediker's studio art class, was recently
selected for a Gold Key Award. The award is the highest level of
achievement on the regional level. Former winners include Andy Warhol
and Richard Avedon.
Mr. Lebediker isn’t surprised by his students’ success. He praises both their talent level and dedication.
He said many students spend most of their free time and study halls working on projects in his class. His room – a virtual artist’s paradise replete with murals on the walls and countless canvasses and paints around the tables – usually brims with music and kids bouncing artistic ideas off Mr. Lebediker.
“I like to push the kids past what they perceive their potential to be,”
he said.
“We’ve
got a really great program here and it progressively grows the kids.
They not only work on their art skills, but learn problem solving and
personal skills.”
Sebastian said art not only develops his creativity, but it has helped him strengthen his confidence. He often assists Mr. Lebediker with his seventh grade art classes.
“I try as hard as I can in my other classes, but it’s not easy for me. I get books on tape and spend a little of time trying to understand the material,” Sebastian said.
“But in here, I don’t think about that. I know I’m good at this and I can help other kids.”
To see some of the students’ work, head to the “School St. Gallery" at Nan and Pop's Small Town Cafe in Mayfield or go to the district website.