Check It Out!

(I'm always afraid to write a post like this, lest I make an error and have someone pick on me about it...)

If you're a fan of grammar like I am, I'm sure you've thought to yourself, "Self, I wonder if there is a day set aside for celebrating grammar."  And, lo and behold, there is - today, March 4, is National Grammar Day!

http://nationalgrammarday.com/

So go forth with your red pen and set people straight!  Correct those grocers' apostrophes (or, as I prefer to call them, grocers apostrophe's)!  Tell those people over they're that there use of their is wrong (my goodness, that was painful to write)!  Laugh and/or cringe at examples of bad grammar.  Smile smugly to yourself when you find a typo or an errant comma in the book you're reading.  And most of all, remember that really, every day is made for good grammar.

The Gallery at Canton Public Library features the watercolors and assemblages of Gary Kollberg for the months of March and April.  The show opens on Monday, March 1 and continues through Friday, April 30.

    Through both vocation and avocation, Gary Kollberg has followed an artistic bent.  He has studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Parsons School of Design. He developed a career in graphic design, culminating in the formation of Kollberg/Johnson Associates in 1980 in New York City.  Prior to his retirement in 2001, his firm received numerous awards in multiple product categories.  As an artist, he was first a watercolorist, a medium he has been perfecting for more than 50 years.  His subjects tend to be drawn from nature and the outdoors, with landscapes featuring woodland scenes and rustic buildings.

    Following 9/11, his focus changed, however.  When the Twin Towers were hit, Gary and his wife were living in Weehawken, N.J., in a house on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River, with a panoramic view from the Intrepid Museum to the Trade Center.  Watching the buildings collapse affected him deeply.  The event “crystallized people’s support for their country,” said Kollberg, and led him artistically in a new direction.  He began creating assemblages, or dimensional collages, featuring patriotic memorabilia and Americana.  The pieces are red, white, and blue and an occasional splash of gold, and feature the icons of American patriotism:  flags, eagles, Uncle Sam, the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, the nation’s Capitol, the Presidents, and the Stars andStripes.

“I have found that the assemblages appeal especially to members of the military, whose job it is to secure our safety and freedom,” said Kollberg.  “One of my objectives is to show my appreciation for those individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

    Kollberg grew up in Illinois.  His art has been exhibited in numerous venues in New Jersey and New York.  His work is represented in many private collections in the U.S.  He moved to Connecticut in 2004 and now resides in the Farmington Valley.

In honor of Youth Art Month in March, Canton Public Library will display the artwork of the talented artists in every level of the school system.  The art will fill the Children’s Room and the display case of Canton Public Library from March 1 to March 31.

The exhibit will feature approximately 100 pieces from students in kindergarten through grade 12 and will include a variety of media, from three-dimensional ceramic and sculptural pieces to two-dimensional work including watercolor, colored pencil and more.

Deborah Beaudoin, the art teacher at Canton Intermediate School who is organizing the show, said, "This is a wonderful opportunity for the Canton community to see the fabulous work that our students create within our schools.  The YAM Art Exhibit also demonstrates the sequential growth of our students as they excel through the grades.  We are fortunate to be in a town where the arts are valued and supported."

The schools represented in the show are Cherry Brook Primary School, grades K-3, with art teachers Kezia Hearn and Ellen Raposo; Canton Intermediate School, grades 4-6, with art teacher Deb Beaudoin; Canton Middle School, grades 7-8, with art teacher Linda Klusek; and Canton High School, grades 9-12, with art teachers Renee Hughes and Roselyn Marino.

Ms. Beaudoin added, "Canton Public Schools have a strong art curriculum in line with both the State and National Visual Arts Standards.  Students are exposed to a variety of media, techniques, artists and art movements."

Stop by the Children’s Room and be prepared to be impressed.  Students and parents will have a bigger exhibit space than the refrigerator, and library patrons will be treated to the lively, colorful, and creative work of our schoolchildren.