I spent much of the afternoon at Bishop Gibbons High School yesterday, trying to understand the creative exposition there. It is so unlike my own early education that it’s hard for me to comprehend it. I am in awe of the compelling and charismatic person who has triggered, nourishes, and plans it.

 

 

The Bishop Bibbons Art Program seems like an unlike place for such a creative surge.

The art program is down in the school’s basement. There are eight or nine cubicles crammed with fabric, paint brushes, discarded jewelry, metal parts, clothing patterns, old jewelry, clay, stuffing, sculptures, buttons, and beads.

In the farthest cubicle, a dozen sewing machines are lined up, almost all of them going at the same time. The students are excited, scrambling to make something for themselves, their friends, their mothers, and their fathers. They come up to the teacher one at a time, saying, “Miss, the sewing machine is stuck.” Maria loves to unstick them.

Everyone in the art workshop seems to be working on something different; the students are all eager to show their work to one another, and their teacher, who is usually moving from one cubicle to another, or sitting regally at the center of the chair, somehow keeping an eye on everyone.

 

 

One second she’s telling some loud boys to quiet down; the other, she’s got a long line of students showing her their work, asking for advice, or showing off what they’ve done, and in a flash, she’s unpacking a box of old metal objects and talking windchimes.

It’s like a magical pot at Disney World; you never know what’s coming in or going out.

The teacher behind all this would be Sue Silverstein, the force and inspiration behind the art program.

She is an artist herself; creativity is part of her life. She was everywhere, sitting down, standing up, cheering artists on, guiding them to do better; every time I looked, she was standing in a different place, in constant motion. I was exhausted just from watching her.

She’s like an octopus in a way; she seems to have eight eyes, all of them moving at once. This comes from her 24 years of teaching. She knows every name, every family situation, every skill, phobia, or behavioral issue. The outcasts and oddballs pour in with the jocks and preppies, they all work together. Sue demands it.

 

 

This is a Catholic School, and Catholic Schools tend to be orderly since they can kick the real misbehaviors out.

There is almost a sense of a creative tornado in the art basement; so many things are happening at once.

I come with Maria as often as we can; she is helping the kids with their art and trying to keep all those sewing machines – most donated by the Army of Good – running.

The children can all choose from all these choices to make the things they want, and their creativity is explosive and exciting, as you can see from the photos. They make pillows, necklaces, clothing from patterns, bead and button art, painting, and sketches. They are proud of their art, eager to show it.

 

 

It’s almost impossible not to see all this and smile.

These are happy faces and engaged people. You can touch the energy coming from that room; I slept through half my classes in middle school.

Sue has awakened the creative sparks of so many young people. She also ensures they are fed, clothed, and warm in winter. I don’t know how her eardrums withstand the noise or how she handles this whirlwind.

She sees every student as part of her family; she worries about them and pays attention to everyone. She knows everyone’s name, likes and dislikes, skills, and weaknesses.

I can’t tell you how she does it, and I know I could never do it, but it lifts my heart and soul to see her do it. She is a gift to the spouting artists.

 

There is so much energy in that basement, with many children smiling, laughing, bragging, and concentrating. It takes a while to realize how well-organized and thought-out this program is.

Nobody is bored; no one is fighting, and no one is sneaking onto TikTok. Some students have their snacks and cell phones on the table, but this, they tell me, is mainly to keep in touch with their moms, who often leave work to pick them up. Chatting on cell phones is not permitted at Bishop Gibbons.

Lots of the students – male and female – pair up, working together on projects, egging each other on, or critiquing each other’s work.

 

The students tell me they never imagined themselves as artists or creatives; they love having choices in an environment where they can sit down, be alone, or even take a quick nap on the communal sofa if they wear out. They are learning that we are all creatives, some of us light the spark, most people don’t.

 

 

Sometimes the kids are so excited there is a din in the basement I can’t hear myself think.

 

 

Making clay (above), she is very good at it.

Zinnia is a great hit as the new school therapy dog. The kids come from all over the school to meet, see, and hug her. After an hour or so, she’s just wiped out, finds me, lies down behind me, and goes to sleep. The kids can’t stop petting and cooing over her, but she goes to sleep and enjoys the belly rubs.

 

 

Sue says she and Maria are sisters from other mothers. I believe it; the two of them love to gather by the sewing machines, catch up and figure out how to get all the devices working.

 

Sue Silverstein. Creativity and love are a powerful combination. She says happiness and success in everything is her goal in the art program.

Sue is always eager to get used, recycled, and abandoned objects, from jewelry to stuffing to beads and metal, paint, brushes, and canvases.

If you wish to support this creative tornado, you can send things to Sue, the care of the school (see below). Her e-mail is [email protected].

You can send any of these things to Sue Silverstein, Bishop Gibbons High School,  2600 Albany Street,  Schenectady, New York, 12304. A chance to be part of the solution, not the problem.

 

The refugees often paint images from their devastated culture; this one is from Myanmar.

 

 

One of the most famous art pieces for students is jewelry; most now create their own designs.