Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Eight Lansing High School artists are being featured in an exhibit at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport this month.  The exhibit, which features the work of seniors Joanna Barrett, Brittany Brown, Ashley Engels,Greg Wasenko, and juniors Ian Chan,  Erica Harper, Richard McDonough, Hannah Shea, is on display for the month of December.

"People love these," says Airport Terminal Services Coordinator Jim Strehle.  "Any time you walk out here people are always looking at them.  It's something to do while you're waiting for your aircraft.  The more things you have to be entertained, the faster the time goes."

Strehle says he tries to book a different student show every month.  The art is prominently displayed on two boards in the middle of the main terminal.  The current show features a variety of styles and media in works by advanced art students from Lansing High School.  Art teacher Patty Brown says the show gives students an opportunity to think as professional artists in terms of showing their best current work, matching their work to the venue, and doing the matting and preparation for a public art display.

"We're really lucky to get December because that's a big travel month," Brown says.  "They also have to prepare their work and mat it and think of themselves as a professional and not just handing in an assignment to the teacher.  Selecting the work that's going to be in this venue, and thinking about who the audience is, and what would you put up or not put up, and those kinds of things are all part of it."


Strehle's own son was one of Brown's students who exhibited at the airport in past years.  Today he is a gaming artist, living in Seattle.  Brown likes to prepare local artists for further study and art careers.  She notes that at least six of the artists in the airport show plan to pursue art in college, and some have already been accepted at art schools.  While in high school Lansing students also show work at the Lansing Community Library, as well as at the big art show in the high school at the end of each year.  But Brown says the airport and library shows are special because they are public venues.

"They love it," she says.  "Some kids live near here, so they drag their parents over the next day.  One student was flying from here that very night, so her whole family got to see it.  Of course their relatives are coming for Christmas, so they see it.  They like it.  They like seeing it here.  It's not at school -- that's important."

The airport has been featuring student art since 1996 when art teacher Robin Rogers approached Strehle with the idea.  The Lansing, Trumansburg, Dryden, Newfield, Groton schools are regular exhibitors.  Ithaca has displayed from time to time, and students from the Love Covenant School in Dryden, Montessori School, Immaculate Conception, as well as the students of local art teachers like Elizabeth Gross Marks have all exhibited work at the airport..  Each show lasts a month, and there is almost always an art show.

"It's something that makes this airport more down home," Strehle says.  "Instead of going to a bigger airport and getting lost in the shuffle, people come in here and see art by people they know.  It gives a down home touch that we love to show off."

Students pick the pieces they will show, choosing from among recent work.  Pieces that will best weather a one-month show are chosen.  They think about whether they want to show a series or individual pieces.  They look for pieces that distinguish them as artists and stand out as part of their individual style.  The current show features a range of work here from observational work to photographs to paintings to drawings.  

"With this particular group you will see a huge range because they're doing independent work," Brown explains.  "We have to be really aware that this is a public venue.  We know children are going to look at this work, for instance.  Really it's for each student to show who they are as an artist right now."


Brown says at least half the class has already come to the airport to see the exhibit, bringing their parents and friends.

"This is a great opportunity for the kids, because it's a public venue, not just in the school," she says.  "They get a little bit nervous, which is good.  A little excited."

She adds that she loved hanging the show because airport guards and other employees would come over to talk about a piece.

"Three or four people came over to talk about the show, so there is interest, not just among the travelers, but among the workers here," she says.  "That's always fun.  And I love seeing it all up when it's done.  We've done all the framing and all the work and we get to look at it here instead of in the classroom on a table."

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