Strath Haven students make eclectic picks for heroes
NETHER PROVIDENCE >> When it comes to sources of inspiration, they can spring from almost anywhere, and that includes everything from popular culture icons to humble war veterans.
Just ask Strath Haven Middle School art teacher Brad Hosbach.
When he challenged his students to ponder people they consider to be heroes and then draw them, Hosbach was surprised, excited and even amused by the wide — and in some cases eclectic — range of choices.
“One kid chose ‘Snooki’ from the ‘Jersey Shore,’” he said, referring to the MTV reality series that aired from late 2009 to late 2012 and centered on the exploits of eight housemates from northern New Jersey who spent their summers at a rented house in Seaside Heights, N.J.
Nicole Elizabeth “Snooki” LaValle was one of the most prominently featured cast members.
Another student drew Andy Griffith, the longtime TV and movie star who died in 2012.
“She told me that she and her dad watched reruns of the ‘Andy Griffith Show’ when she was little,” Hosbach said. Set in Mayberry, N.C., the show ran on CBSTV from 1960 to 1968.
Elaina Fitzgerald went Broadway, drawing LinManuel Miranda, the creative genius behind the smash hit “Hamilton.”
But other students went with more conventional choices. For example, Noa Dijstelbloem selected her twin sister Ava. Hosbach said he can relate, as he is the father of twins, “so I can appreciate that bond.”
Hosbach, who is in his ninth year at the school, said he was impressed by the quality of his young artists’ handiwork.
“I teach the students how to use a grid technique to enlarge the proportions and most of the drawings resemble their source photos, but some of them just really surprise me with their technique and amazing attention to detail,” he said.
“This is a tough assignment for 13- and 14-yearolds, and I’m always impressed with the effort they put in.”
The images are 14 by 18 inches in size. Students enlarge their heroes onto a large sheet of paper using just rulers and pencils. The background area is later filled in with acrylic paint
Hosbach said his eighthgrade students have been doing grid portraits for a few years, but the hero concept came about in conjunction with the current eighth-grade class’ service project: Raising money for the Conner Holland Foundation (cmhollandfoundation.org). The foundation’s “live like a hero.” “All of my colleagues are encouraging their students to live like a hero, so I asked the students to bring in a photo/print of someone who inspires them,” Hosbach said.
“I showed them a screen print I did of my grandfather years ago. He served in World War II, was a POW (prisoner of war) and a just a great guy all around. I changed the name of the project to ‘hero portraits,’” he said.
The portraits are on display throughout the school. Hosbach is also looking for coffee shops and other venues in the community willing to display some of the art work produced by the school’s students.
Eventually, all of is theme the students get to take their portraits home. Hosbach provides them with an inexpensive frame that helps make hanging them almost anywhere a breeze.