I love this story. a Former pastry chef named Marianna sent Sue Silverstein a box of what she called “absolutely wonderful cookie cutters’ that the 8th-grade art class made on Tuesday to hang as Christmas ornaments on their trees. Sue is a magician; she takes whatever is sent to her and turns it into art that her students love making.

Maria and I are going to Bishop Gibbons on Thursday, weather permitting. Sue says she has a big box of trinkets she’s collected from the many donations she’s received. She is always interested in used jewelry, cooking and metal utensils and parts, stuffing, and painting canvases. She will make it work.

The art project at Bishop Gibbons is doing ground-breaking work. The address, if you have trinkets and used objects you don’t want anymore, is Sue Silverstein, Bishop Biggons High School, 2600 Albany Street, Schenectady, New York, 12304.

It is a great gift to watch Sue and her students work their magic, which only seems bolder and more creative every week.

This was classic Sue Silverstein. She gets a whole box full of used cookie cutters and opens the box, and shows them to her class: “Go,” she says, and off they go, exploring their own creativity and originality, and gaining confidence in themselves. She does it every day. She is one of the most amazing people I know.

This is a brilliant way to light the creative spark.

 

How many things can a young artist make with a used cookie cutter? Start counting here.

Some students explored fusion – beads and other art forms mixed in with the cookie cutter.

 

Here, beads were used.

 

This 8th grader used stuffing to make a cookie cutter sculpture.

(Photos by Sue Silverstein. Thanks, Sue. See you Thursday if the storm fades.)