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Star Polishers

  • This completed mosaic frames the entrance to PS 506 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Comprised of four panels, the imagery is derived from silhouettes of students reaching for stars and buffing them to make them shine brighter.
  • The participants conducted research and designed this sketch for the final product.
  • Five youth participants diligently work on the mosaic, placing the right color tiles in their respective positions.
  • Five young students work diligently, unaware of the camera in front of them.
  • A detail of the upper right corner of the entrance way to PS 506. You can see how many glass tiles were needed for just this section.

Project Description

"Star Polishers" was created by two 5th grade classes and frames the entrance to PS 506 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The students read and discussed the poem “The Star Polisher” by Leah Becks. In the poem, a teacher is a star polisher, allowing students to flourish and reach for the stars. The youth gathered imagery that reminded them of the inspirational poem. The students then created mosaics, comprised on four large panels, featuring four student silhouettes reaching for the stars and buffing them to a bright shine. This mosaic beautifies the entrance to the public school and provides positive imagery for the students to look up to.

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Project Info

Location: 1031 59th Street Brooklyn, NY 11219
Neighborhood: 
Sunset Park


Program: 
School-based Programs


Theme: 
Youth Development


Year: 
2010


Partner(s): 
PS 506


Lead Artist(s):
Clare Herron


Assistant Artist(s):
Chris Beck


Participants: 

 

50 5th grade students at PS 506
Medium: 
Glass Tile Mosaic


Dimensions: 3 x 2ft (Four Panels)

Fun Facts

Suggested Activity
Read the poem “The Star Polishers” by Leah Beck and gather imagery from magazines that reminds you of the poem. Make a collage with these images and use it to remember that you’re a star!
Research
Over 77,000 New York City public school teachers work each day to enrich the lives of over 1 million school children throughout the city.
Quote
“The kids were very enthusiastic about the project; we practically had to pry them off of the table. It makes me feel really good that I can work with kids in schools that don’t have art classes.” – Clare Herron, Lead Artist

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