Huntington Elementary School students complete collaborative project inspired by artist Yayoi Kusama

BRUNSWICK — The entire first grade at Huntington Elementary School recently collaborated on an art project that was designed to foster a sense of community within the school. Art teacher Erin Kraly said the piece was inspired by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's "Obliteration Room" installations, in which visitors place colorful dots on everyday objects. She described Kusama's art as a celebration of repetition, collaboration and how small additions can alter a space. "A friend and fellow art teacher Jon Juravich created a similar experience for his students at his art show in May 2024," she said. "Seeing the excitement on his students' faces, I knew I wanted to bring that same sense of joyful participation and transformation to our first graders who were learning about Kusama's art and all of her dots in class." First graders began the project by learning about Kusama's life and style through visuals and short videos, Kraly said. For the first part of the project, students made fall leaf drawings and used permanent markers to cover their leaves in dots. "Once students finished painting their leaves, we used white oil pastels to create fractured backgrounds," she said. "(We) then used cool color watercolors to paint over the white oil pastel in what we call 'magic paint.' The oil pastel resists the paint, and the white lines magically reveal themselves." While students were coloring their leaves, they began taking turns on another part of the project, Kraly said. Students were given colorful dot stickers and added them to a plain white chair and three-dimensional letters that spelled "ART." Over a few days, more than 1,000 dots were applied to the piece by every first grade student and some staff members, she said. The piece was intended to show students that art can be about "teamwork, respect and shared creativity." "Watching their small dots contribute to a big, beautiful final piece made them realize how every person's effort matters," Kraly said. "It also helped foster school pride and connection, as everyone could see themselves represented in the artwork. Students were able to point out where they placed their dots to show which pieces they helped add to make the final chair feel complete." The piece is now on display at Huntington Elementary School. She said she hopes students learned that creativity can be both individual and communal. "They learned that art can transform ordinary things and that collaboration can lead to something far greater than what one person could create alone," Kraly said. "Beyond the art techniques, the project built communication, patience and a sense of belonging, (which are) important life skills that go hand-in-hand with creativity." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.