Art Teacher and Students Create Permanent Outdoor Sculpture at Woodmere

Art Teacher and Students Create Permanent Outdoor Sculpture at Woodmere

SCH is proud to announce the opening of a new outdoor installation at the Woodmere Art Museum, conceptualized and created by our very own honorary alumna and art teacher of 25 years, Judy Callas. Each summer, the Woodmere provides a space for young artists from the Philadelphia area to collaborate in the creation of a permanent installation. This year, the theme was nature and community, focusing on conservation and the indigenous history of Philadelphia.

Art becomes the common thread for building community every summer at Woodmere. Children and teens from different neighborhoods in the Philadelphia region meet at Woodmere to create a collaborative work of art. Working alongside professional artists, students design and construct an outdoor art installation that is incorporated into Woodmere Children’s Butterfly Garden.

Inspired by the children’s book, When the Shadbush Blooms, by Carla J. S. Messinger, Susan Katz, Callas, and the students created Shad Run. When the Shadbush Blooms tells the story of a Lenape girl venturing to a stream to fish for shad, as her ancestors once did, and embraces themes of seasons and cycles and how they connect us with family and traditions.

Judy Callas Outdoor Sculpture

Along with 19 talented young artists, including two from the SCH community, Callas led the students to create a collaborative outdoor sculpture, which will be permanently part of Woodmere Outdoor Wonder (WOW). Woodmere continues to develop and integrate the experience of these features across our grounds in a manner that brings art in conversation with environmental science and horticultural interest.

Shad Run, the sculpture with ceramic fish moving through a garden, echoes elements of nature, connection, and community. Callas celebrated the opening reception of Shad Run on September 8. For those who'd like to view Shad Run, the installation is just to the right of the studio building's front door.  Look for the blue ceramic fish!

SCH faculty are lifelong learners! To learn more about the many opportunities SCH faculty pursued this summer, enjoy our slideshow here.

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