‘Labor of Love’ will be unveiled Saturday

 

 — Submitted Photo

YHS senior Sabrina Coulombe and YHS art Teacher Rivka Schaffner look at some of the items that will be displayed in the Badger Art Gallery.

 

The specially designed floor can be seen in this photo along with some of the work that will be displayed in the gallery.

 

Three years of work, a “labor of love,” will be shown to the public Saturday [January 26], from 6-8 p.m. when the Badger Art Gallery holds its grand opening at Yosemite High School.

The gallery has been the dream of YHS art teacher Rivka Schaffner since she started work at YHS. She and her art students and members of the YHS Art Club, have worked hard to make it a reality.

This year the gallery is the Senior Project for two students — Sabrina Coulombe and Kara Bolding. A Literary Table in the gallery is Christina Birge’s Senior Project.

Ms. Schaffner stresses that this is a gallery by the students, for the students. It is a place where all types of student work can be displayed. Work will include fine art, post cards, photography, jewelry, pottery, poetry, welding projects, handmade paper and anything else students wish to display.

“This is a creative outlet for student work,” Ms. Schaffner says, “Anything that can be shown is welcome.”

Much of the work will be for sale. The gallery will keep a small portion of the sale price to help buy the supplies needed to keep it open; the rest of the money will go to the artist. Ms. Schaffner says they will sell the art as inexpensively as possible.

The gallery has been funded by donations from businesses and individuals in the community and from grant funds.

Much of what has been used is recycled materials. For example, the paint used to cover old carpeting on the floor was all donated by people in the community. The various paints were mixed together to come up with the green and black paints that were used.

Gene Walker spent more than 300 hours designing the floor.

Ms. Schaffner, several students and some parents have been working evenings and weekends to complete the gallery. Some students also work on the project during their art class.

The opening show will feature work by YHS students and also a photography display, titled “Eye Am A Camera,” by Coarsegold Elementary School students, with about 100 photographs.

There will also be 40 pieces of art by Rivergold Elementary School students.

The gallery will be open during lunchtime at YHS and also during portions of the day when students are available. There will be an open microphone at lunch for students to perform.

In approximately six weeks, there will be an animation show at the gallery featuring 160 animated books the students have made.

The gallery is in a portion of the old cafeteria at YHS. The space became available after the new cafeteria opened in August.

Ms. Schaffner says she and the students are very grateful to YHS Principal Steve Raupp and Yosemite Joint Union High School District Superintendent Bill McCabe for allowing them to use that space for the gallery.

The gallery is dedicated in memory of Ms. Schaffner's mother, Charlotte Elaine Schaffner.