Our Natural World: A Collaborative Public Art Exhibition Featuring Student Paintings from Birmingham Public Schools and Bloomfield Hills Schools

Student artists from Birmingham Public Schools (BPS) and Bloomfield Hills Schools (BHS) completed a collaborative public art project showcasing their creativity entitled “Our Natural World.” The exhibit features 40 works of art on canvas, 20 from each school district, created by students at every age level based on the theme of nature.

The works of art will be on display December 3, 2022 through May 31, 2023. Visitors to the Baldwin Public Library can view all of the canvases along the top perimeter windows of the library’s Youth Room overlooking Shain Park in downtown Birmingham, MI. The artworks are visible from the exterior of the library along Bates Street and the corners of Martin and Bates and Merrill and Bates streets.

The opening celebration was held on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. on the Shain Park center stage during the Birmingham Shopping District’s Winter Markt festivities.

Following the Zip US Up! diversity-based Collaborative Art Project which opened in October 2021, this is the second public art exhibit utilizing this space in Baldwin Public Library’s newly renovated and expanded Youth Room. It brings together Birmingham residents and Project Producers David Bloom, Barbara Heller, and Laura Host in collaboration with BPS and BHS art department heads Sarah Smith and Matt Beauchamp to organize and manage the project.

Exhibition collaboration took place along several dimensions: between school districts, between students on many of the pieces created, between individual students producing the project, and between library staff and the community.

This project has been made possible with generous donations from the Birmingham Education Foundation and the Bloomfield Hills Schools Department of Learning Services for the purchase of canvases. The canvases were generously discounted by Blick Art Materials of Royal Oak.

Our Natural World Program Brochure

Artwork along Merrill Street

#1
Subject/Title: Doodle Landscape
Artist(s): 4th Grade Students
School: Way Elementary
Art Teacher: Sarah Schantz

#2
Subject/Title: Sakura
Artist(s): Anastasia Trotskyj (12)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Tessa Basirico

#3
Subject/Title: 16 Split
Artist(s): Brody Oleshansky (10)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Peg Pasternak

#4
Subject/Title: Flowers against Green Leaves
Artist(s): Mural Club (10-12th)
School: Groves High School
Art Teacher: Tony Fink, Veronica Belf

#5
Subject/Title: At the End of Spring
Artist(s): Charlie Gross (12)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Tessa Basirico

#6
Subject/Title: Mountain Scene
Artist(s): Art Club (6-8)
School: Birmingham Covington School
Art Teacher: Amanda Husband

#7
Subject/Title: Orlando Octopus
Artist(s): Art Club (6-8)
School: Berkshire Middle School
Art Teacher: Mike Orlando

#8
Subject/Title: Tiger Lily
Artist(s): Jae Delidow (12), Sydney Faulkner(12)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Tessa Basirico

Artwork along Bates Street

 

#9
Subject/Title: Sunset Flock
Artist(s): Mural club (10-12)
School: Groves High School
Art Teacher: Tony Fink, Veronica Belf

#10
Subject/Title: Tui & La
Artist(s): Robin Beaney (12), Estella Paszek-Moore(12)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Tessa Basirico

#11
Subject/Title: Tree of Joy
Artist(s): Jude Avila, Zara France, Sophia Shepherd, Erin Shim (all 4th grade)
School: Conant Elementary
Art Teacher: Pennie Ellis

#12
Subject/Title: Choices
Artist(s): 2nd and 3rd grade students
School: Eastover Elementary
Art Teacher: Anne Musson

#13
Subject/Title: One
Artist(s): 2nd and 3rd grade students
School: Eastover Elementary
Art Teacher: Anne Musson

#14
Subject/Title: Silhouetted Trees
Artist(s): 5th Grade and 1st Grade (Victoria Haddad, Noa Murphy, EmeryChick, Letty Eilander, Violet Riley, Chloe Leibhan, Reagan Prendergast, Saya Kanatani)
School: Pierce Elementary
Art Teacher: Amy Darby, Alana Wynes, Alethea Cierpial

#15
Subject/Title: Abstract Leaves
Artist(s): 1st Grade Students
School: Way Elementary
Art Teacher: Sarah Schantz

#16
Subject/Title: Desart Nomadland
Artist(s): Luna Bdeir (8), Madilyn Bottrell (8)
School: WHMS
Art Teacher: Lara Bushon

#17
Subject/Title: Colors of the Deep
Artist(s): Evelyn Flatley (11), Ruby Smith-McCrobie (11), Awa Diaw(11), Falak Al Homsi (9)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Matthew Beauchamp

#18
Subject/Title: River of Joy
Artist(s): Sienna Acosta (3rd), Ethan Arcaro (3rd), Emma Grant (3rd), & Avery Lattin (3rd)
School: Lone Pine Elementary
Art Teacher: Pennie Eliis

#19
Subject/Title: Sunken Ocean Oasis
Artist(s): Carly Glazer (6), Hunter Borenstein (6), Lara Qasim (6), Elise Riden (6), Anna Zelmanov (6), Nayla Gorelkin (6), Jordyn Tomina (6), Paul Banks Jr. (6), Atanas Kostoff (6), Preeyo Randhawa (6), Wensley Shannon (6), Channing Spencer (8), Mathias Monelli (8
School: West Hills Middle School
Art Teacher: Lara Bushon

#20
Subject/Title: Skulls
Artist(s): Art Club (6-8)
School: Berkshire Middle School
Art Teacher: Mike Orlando

#21
Subject/Title: Jellyfish
Artist(s): Jordyn Goldstein (8), Leah Goldstein (8), Sophia Gluck (8), Febe Fogle (8), Kinsley Kurns (8)
School: Bloomfield Hills Middle School
Art Teacher: Jacquelynne Alizadeh

#22
Subject/Title: Bloomfield’s Natural Beauty (cyanotype photos)
Artist(s): Paige Gardner (10), Maxwell Hortick (12), Joseph Keane (12), Braylen Castro (12), Carli Camens (12), Lyle Hoffman (12), Alexander Parker (12), Jennifer Wright (12), Selena Nahhas (12).
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Brownson

#23
Subject/Title: Autumn on the Lake
Artist(s): Mikaila DeMeritt (8), Kate Konoya (8), Riley Pettengill (8), Yareli Delgadillo Rubio (8)
School: East Hills Middle School
Art Teacher: Christina Rayburn

#24
Subject/Title: Flying books in the Mtns
Artist(s): 5th grade classes
School: Beverly Elementary
Art Teacher: Amy Darby

#25
Subject/Title: Flowers
Artist(s): Lauren Drobnich
School: Seaholm High School
Art Teacher: Kellie Vagts, Liz Moyer

#26
Subject/Title: Birds on a Branch
Artist(s): Mural club (10-12)
School: Groves high School
Art Teacher: Tony Fink, Veronica Belf

#27
Subject/Title: Journey of the Husky
Artist(s): 5th grade
School: Harlan Elementary
Art Teacher: Ernest Fackler

#28
Subject/Title: Deer, Duck, and turtle
Artist(s): Sarah Stapleton, Natalie Appel and Isabella Wyszynski Art Adventures and Exploration
School: Derby Middle School
Art Teacher: Caela McGrath

#29
Subject/Title: Ravens
Artist(s): Cori Kusciuk
School: Seaholm High School
Art Teacher: Kellie Vagts, Liz Moyer

#30
Subject/Title: Critters
Artist(s): 7th graders: Savannah Astras, Ruslana Avci, Noelle Bahri, Jami Becker, Reese Callahan, Trey Cooper, Gage Decker, Cruz Denha, Christoper Donnellon, William Fagan, Charles Fritz, Catherine Grant, Lila Hindman, Ian Kim, Jacob Konja, Michael Kosco, Katarzyna Leonard, Logan Mills, Rishab Monga, John Obeid, Kamryn Parkman, Darsh Patel, Colton Perry, Neena Pullukat, Sydney Rockoff, Reed Ruffini, Jack Schmid, Mihir Shah, Anna Spence, Charis Smyly, Vijay Thakur, Channing Watson, Addison Zellen
School: East Hills Middle School
Art Teacher: Christina Rayburn

#31
Subject/Title: Leaf
Artist(s): Xzandria Lambert
School: Seaholm High School
Art Teacher: Kellie Vagts, Liz Moyer

Artwork along Martin Street

#32
Subject/Title: Waterfall
Artist(s): Karishma Shah (12)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Tessa Basirico

#33
Subject/Title: Four Seasons
Artist(s): 5th grade students (Lucy Andrews, Sam Zsirai, Luci Le,Kimora Haywood, Paul Shawver
School: Greenfield Elementary
Art Teacher: Alethea Cierpial

#34
Subject/Title: Butterfly
Artist(s): Morgan Twarog, Arabella Davis and Melanie Bailey
School: Bingham Farms Elementary
Art Teacher: Brian Hunter

#35
Subject/Title: Sunset with Trees
Artist(s): 5th Grade Classes
School: Pe,broke Elementary
Art Teacher: Sarah Smith

#36
Subject/Title: Divine Divide
Artist(s): Maria MousaBasha (10), Brielyn Porter (11), Sensuous Moses (12), Yasna Mizrad (10), Dilara Motowea (9)
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Art Teacher: Matthew Beauchamp

#37
Subject/Title: Howling at the Moon
Artist(s): 4th & 5th grade
School: West Maple Elementary
Art Teacher: Alex Mitevski

#38
Subject/Title: Kandinsky Tree
Artist(s): 4th grade and Derby students: Avery Rothermel, Kaia Heatherly, Brooke Learman, George West, Parker Caram, Lucy Murphy
School: Pembroke Elementary & Derby Middle Schol
Art Teacher: Sarah Smith

#39
Subject/Title: Leaves
Artist(s): 5th Grade Classes (Mother Nature Portrait by 5th Grader Lexi Pannu)
School: Quarton Elementary
Art Teacher: Alana Wynes

#40
Subject/Title: Growth
Artist(s): Okey Unogu
School: Annex Post Secondary
Art Teacher: Brian Hunter