By Kristina Bond
Correspondent
May 07, 2008 05:45 am DANVERS — Art students at Holten Richmond Middle School, assisted by teacher Jeff Surette, have created various projects that bring Greek myths to life. Tomorrow at the Peabody Institute Library from 7 to 9 p.m., the larger-than-life statues featuring Greek monsters such as a cyclops, a minotaur, Medusa and a centaur, each over 6 feet tall, will be on display. "(My favorite part was) making the club, body parts and putting the whole thing together," said Patrick Cross, an art student who worked on the cyclops, in an e-mail from the teacher. Also featured in the gallery exhibit will be masks of the Greek gods and storybooks that tell the timeless tales of Greek life. The exhibit, called "The Gallery: A Student Art Exhibit," is partially funded through the Creative Connections Grant as awarded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Surette has been teaching at Holten Richmond since 1997. "About 100 students are participating with different projects," Surette said. "(There is everything from) 'wanted' posters of Greek monsters created by sixth-grade students (to) original stories written and illustrated by sixth-grade students based on ancient Greece and mythology." In addition to those projects, 48 seventh-grade students have created four 6-foot-tall mythological monster papier-maché sculptures, and sixth-grade students have created 25 plaster of Paris masks based on Greek gods. Surette said the students gained a better understanding of Greek mythology and the life and beliefs during ancient times by completing the projects. "Students were able to bridge their learning between social studies, independent reading and art," Surette said. Kristina Bond is an intern from Masconomet Regional High School.
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