EVENTS/ PS 58 Art Show

My residency with PS 58 lives on.
To celebrate Nature and Ecology on the first day of Spring, the second graders had an art opening. They built this huge city out of recyled garbage.


How cool that they added a street, sidewalks, dogs and a bus stop. Very creative!
I am so proud of all the students, teachers and parents who participated in this great project. THANK YOU!


Charles and Stella Branstool enjoy cupcakes and pretzel sticks at the art opening. You can purchase MERMAIDS ON PARADE at their shop, Exit 9.

Top Photo Credit: Angus Killick

School Visits: PS 58 Residency - Part 3

PS 58 Part 1
PS 58 Part 2
Brooklyn Heights Blog PS 58


I finished the PS 58 residency with the second graders on February 25, 2009. A community was built. Garbage became art. Something to value rather than throw away. Shout to all the students I met at PS 58. Love Nature and yourselves. It’s all connected.

Candy Store


Hotel


Pizza Place


Gamestop


Apartment building


What’s this going to be?


The student's community grew quickly.



Photo: Melanie Hope Greenberg, art teacher, Megan Driscoll and assistant art teacher, Jane Rothberg with Barack Obama.
Photo Credit: Regina Rosario

COMMUNITY / PS 58 Residency 2/11/09

The Brooklyn Heights Blog writeup about my residency.


I continued my author-illustrator residency with the second graders in the art room and felt welcomed the moment I arrived at the school.

Our art project is to create a community out of recycled objects.

First, the students viewed two picture books I illustrated. For examples of global community and recycling, IT’S MY EARTH, TOO, an early ecology book published in 1992. And A CITY IS, about urban community, their community, with illustrations of brownstone Brooklyn and New York City.

The old cereal and tissue boxes, milk cartons, and water bottles the students collected would be transformed into what they see around their neighborhood. Everyone started painting background colors on their new buildings.

The girls got very involved.


So did the boys.


Dedicated art teacher, Megan Driscoll, shared her great ideas which helped the project flow beautifully.


As the paint dried we all sat together again. I talked about the themes of A CITY IS: Observing the big picture as well as the details. Nature. And Silence painted as birds-eye views and silent characters.


Here is my work in progress made from a cracker box, bread package tags, paper towel roll, address labels, magazine tearsheet, and a cocktail umbrella.

Thanks to Joan Bredthauer, Jane Rothberg and Regina Rosario for their assistance.

COMMUNITY / Schools: PS 58 Residency 2/4/09

Update: Brooklyn Heights Blog writeup about my residency.


The best part of being a picture book author and illustrator is meeting the children who read my books. My residency started in the newly renovated library at PS 58, located in a neighborhood called Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, one mile from my home.

First and second graders saw a powerpoint program about MERMAIDS ON PARADE. It was clear that these students really like books. The room exploded in cheers and happy dancing when they recognized places from their community. Photos of The Brooklyn Public Library Central and Coney Island rose to rock star status for these young Brooklynites. What cool kids! All the students I met received a signed copy of A CITY IS.


Speaking of cool kids, part of the session included PS 58 third grader, Stella Branstool. Stella wowed us with hula hoop tricks she performed marching with the Superfine Dinettes during the Mermaid Parade. You can find Stella in MERMAIDS ON PARADE on the boardwalk holding a mermaid doll. Stella's Mom and Dad who own Exit 9 on Smith Street were there and said that they march in the parade too.

I am returning to PS 58’s art room for two more sessions with second graders. We will create communities using recycled objects.

I'm sending a big shout out of thanks to Angus Killick, father of Theo, PS 58 second grader, for inviting me to present. Angus is some great guy. He helped renovate the PS 58 library into state of the art. Bravo!

Dear PS 58, I am looking forward to seeing everyone again. Hugs from your neighbor, Melanie


From L to R : Giselle McGee, Principal; Melanie Hope Greenberg; Jayme Perlman, Assistant Principal; Maureen Vadala, librarian.