Art Students Visit Heckscher Museum

By Paige Taylor

On October 19, our Saint Anthony’s art students were granted an opportunity to visit the Hecksher Museum in Huntington. In addition to being able to see the beauty Heckscher Park has to offer, students were able to enjoy a day appreciating and learning about local artists.
The trip, available to students in Portfolio and Digital Art classes, was a chance to see the works of artists centered in the Suffolk County area. The pieces were in a number of forms, from sculptures to tile works, and encompassed pieces from the 1800s to today.
Each piece came with its own artist statement, delivering
messages about loss, love, family, and more. A piece that caught particular interest of the students was Throne Room, done by our very own Mr. Lauto. Pictured above, his work is a linoleum carving colored digitally, and is one of many from his upcoming book, 1629. “…1629 is my attempt to revert back to simplicity and let the image do the talking”, Lauto says. “My decision to create the images for 1629 in linoleum, including this one, conceptually unifies the time period with a technique that I greatly
respect and enjoy.”
Additionally, the students were offered the chance to compete in the island-wide art competition, Long Island’s Best. Each art student was tasked with choosing a piece that particularly resonated with them in the exhibit, and with creating their own piece either in conjunction or in contrast with its message. Each year, Saint Anthony’s High School is allowed 6 pieces to submit to a group of judges. The lucky winners will have their art displayed in their very own exhibit at the museum, alongside pieces from high schools across the island. Through a simple trip to the museum, the art
students of Saint Anthony’s gained a greater appreciation for local art efforts, and were given an opportunity to be alongside Long Island’s best.