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Health & Fitness

Art Enriches Students' Day at Sunshine Home

Jars of paint and colorful plastic balls created some magic for students at the Sunshine Children’s Home and Rehab Center in Ossining, N.Y. during a recent visit by a New York City-based arts organization, Arts Horizons. For these particular students, all of whom faces significant medical and developmental challenges, the multi-sensory art project provided an opportunity to feel the joy of creating something beautiful and unique.

The students, residents at the facility, attend classes run by Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES. A new partnership between the Sunshine Home and PNW BOCES enables the students to attend a full-day school program while keeping them near the medical, nursing and therapeutic services they require.

Arts Horizons’ Teaching Artist Nina Tantillo Elton and Teaching Assistant Marie Diperri used cardboard box tops to hold construction paper and small plastic balls. Once colorful blobs of paint were added, the visiting artists helped the students move and rock the boxes, creating brilliant marbleized effects on the paper.

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“Giving these children the opportunity to indulge freely in the creative process accesses humanity’s need for expression, creativity and use of the imagination,” said Elton. She went on to explain how this particular project allows the students to engage many of their senses by experiencing the mixing and blending of colors, the sound of the balls bouncing around, and the rhythm and movement involved in shaking the box top.” 

Yechiel Engleman laughed out loud with joy as he began rolling the ball around the box top with the help of Diperri. The resulting painting was filled with colors that seemingly jumped right up off the page.

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Elton and Diperri made their way around the classrooms, encouraging every student to participate to the best of their abilities Trinity Villar enjoyed the project so much, she enthusiastically nodded when asked if she wanted to make a second painting, eagerly selecting a bright purple background.

Arts Horizons is a not-for-profit arts-in-education organization program that has reached millions of students throughout the entire tri-state region. Programs include artist-in-residence programs, live performances and staff development for teachers, with a special emphasis on students with special needs.

“The Art Horizons program is great for the kids because it gives them a chance to be creative and explore new forms of art,” said PNW BOCES teacher Shannon Gaynor. “The project was easily adapted to all levels and ages, and really got the students engaged. Every student in the class was alert with a smile on their face!”

While art is incorporated into the students’ day, as evidenced by the many projects displayed on their classroom walls, the visit from Arts Horizons was clearly something special. “This was a positive, hands-on experience,” said PNW BOCES teacher Jeannine Killenberger. “The students benefited from engaging in an activity that was sensory-based, incorporated movement, and was visually inviting. It was an experience clearly enjoyed by all.

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