City Hall joins 'Art in Public Places' with student watercolor exhibit
Initiative is part of a bigger picture regarding the arts in Saratoga.
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By Emily Landolfi
City Hall is the newest venue to join Saratoga Arts Center’s “Art in Public Places” program, launching its participation with a vibrant exhibit of watercolor paintings by students at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs.
The program — which showcases the work of local artists in accessible public spaces — aligns with Mayor John Safford’s ongoing effort to elevate the art across the city, he told the Dispatch on Monday, July 7.
“The arts are an economic engine that has been fairly uncoordinated [locally],” he said, noting his broader initiative to “bring more attention to the arts.”
“This is a great thing to do,” he added later than evening.
This is the fourth art display in City Hall since Safford took office last year, but the first time for the “Arts in Public Places” program. The school, meanwhile, had no idea when it joined Saratoga Arts more than two years ago that it would become the inaugural display at City Hall — or where its second display with the program might land.
“For this particular show, I selected bright natural images that showed either landscapes and animals because I thought that'd be appropriate for the season,” said Kate Patterson, the school’s communications and events planner and middle school art teacher.
For the exhibit, Patterson intentionally selected pieces from across grade levels — including work by a first grader — and avoided showcasing only the strongest artists. The school doesn’t have “art stars,” she explained, which allows a wide range of students to view their work displayed in public and experience their artistic dreams becoming a reality
.“One important aspect of Waldorf education is the arts,” Patterson said. “Another is not confining education to the classroom — but bringing it to the world. The broader world is viewed as a classroom and in this case, we are taking the classroom to the world.”
All artwork is submitted through an application process and reviewed for selection, with every piece available for purchase.
The exhibit is on view at the Mayor’s Office, Suite 11, 474 Broadway, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sept. 29.
Saratoga Arts Center’s “Art in Public Places” list of student artists from the Waldorf School:
Elias, Ocean (watercolor)
Phoebe, World (watercolor)
Violette, Dandelion (watercolor and pastel)
Hudsyn, Egypt (watercolor)
Abby, Sunflowers (pastel)
Violet, Mountain Sunset (watercolor)
Matthew, Bluejay (watercolor)
Jaxon, Birch Trees (watercolor)
Alex, Tulips (watercolor)
Hudsyn, American Southwest (watercolor)