Artwork by The Hun School student Shubha Vasisht.
Princeton Symphony Orchestra is set to present an exhibition of art, poetry and prose by local middle school students called Listening to the Colored Field.
The works on display are the culmination of students’ participation in Listen Up!, a special music initiative offered through PSO’s BRAVO! education program designed to encourage creativity through active listening.
Students listened to composer Aaron Jay Kernis’ cello concerto Colored Field, written in response to a stirring tour of Auschwitz Holocaust sites, at PSO’s Nov. 3 Eternal Light concert. The students created their own responses to Kernis’ music and its reflection of the Holocaust, working independently and in groups.
The resulting exhibition of students’ work includes artwork created using a variety of techniques and mediums including acrylics, water color, graphite and photography. The exhibition has expanded this year to include written responses in poetry and prose, demonstrating how similar themes can be expressed across multiple art forms.
Thirty-six students were chosen by art and English teachers based on their creativity and love of music, the largest student group since Listen Up!’s inception in 2007.
The group includes Jake Federico and Camryn Williams of Cambridge School, Shubha Vasisht and Nicole Tong of The Hun School, Michelle Wang, Helen Shrayer, Noah Deitch, Laura Bussemaker and Margaret Evered of John Witherspoon Middle School, Melissa Kolodziej, Emily Dembinski, Nidhi Gurrala, Heeyoung Joe, Cordelia Deng, Upekha Samarasekera and Sujean Gahng of Montgomery Upper Middle School, Stephanie Wang, Bailey Eng, Deena Jahema, Sinjita Bhattacharya and Audrey Ma of Montgomery Lower Middle School, Amelia Wright, Anne Irving, Victoria Shwe, Annie Morgan, Molly Zuckerman and Noah Middlekauff of Princeton Charter School, Maximilian Donaldson, Katharine Lee and Lauren Coppins of Timberlane Middle School, Kate Sarubbi and Aaron Savoy of St. Paul School; Nina Ajemian, Rebekah Ten Hagen, Allie Rounds and Mirai Schmidt of Stuart Country Day School.
Listening to the Colored Field is scheduled to be on display Jan. 6 to 18 at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon St., Princeton. An opening reception is set for 4 p.m. Jan. 6.
The exhibition is set to move to Richardson Auditorium for PSO’s Classical Series Concert La Noche Espanola on Jan.19 The exhibition will then move to The Jewish Center of Princeton for display Jan. 21 to Feb. 2.
More information is online at princetonsymphony.org.
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