Sculpture Garden adds artistry to high school grounds

SPARTA — On May 16, Sparta High School kicked off the newest addition to their school with a celebratory bang. One of the school's courtyards has been transformed into a garden with eye-catching ceramic artwork that has become the appropriately named Sculpture Garden.

One year ago, art teacher Jennifer Kucher asked her sculpture students to research Ricky Boscarino, an artist featured in Weird NJ for his trademark mosaic artwork. The most notable of his masterpieces is his home in Paterson called Luna Parc.

Kucher's students, on a field trip, fell in love with the whimsical nature of Boscarino's home, a conglomerate of colorful sculptures surrounded by an array of flowers. Ricky Boscarino suggested that Sparta High School apply for a grant to create something similar and thus, the idea of the Sculpture Garden was born.

During the first meeting, Boscarino sat down with the advanced sculpture class and told them to simply begin drawing something to serve as a basis for their sculptures. Faced with the artist's equivalent of writer's block, the students scrapped hundreds of ideas before eventually deciding to make the four classical elements — fire, water, earth and air — the theme.

The students set to work, fashioning huge representations of the elements and carefully tiled them to create mosaics. Each sculpture was made up of hundreds of individual tiles and smaller, intricate sculptures that served as the artist's signature.

After 12 months, 3,000 pounds of cement, and countless hours of rearranging the layout of plywood, sheet metal and clay, the sculpture garden took the school's atmosphere by storm.

Suddenly, students from various programs were coming together. The tech department documented the progress of the garden while the culinary students plied the guests with refreshments and snacks. Even Sparta High School's very own a cappella group, Shockappella, performed at the official opening.

The Sparta Education Foundation was pleased to see the enthusiasm and talent behind the project. Most of the grants they have given to Sparta public schools have gone towards new computers or amplifiers which are undeniably needed, but do not last forever. This is the very first grant given to the art department and it gave the school an opportunity to expose a new side, one that will stand as long as the school does. "Too often we hear of the bad stuff," said Erik Hein of the foundation. "But this incorporates a new sense of pride for our kids. In ten years, they can come back and be proud to say, 'Look that one's mine!'"

"We all worked really hard on it," said senior Meagan Hepp, an AP art student. "You could say we literally put blood, sweat, and tears into it!" she laughed, holding up her muddy hands.

Jennifer Kucher, on the other hand, was almost speechless with joy. "I can breathe again," she said. "SEF was so supportive. It really made a difference to have some faith in the art department, especially since I had no idea how to write a grant!"

The past few months were hectic and driven by a vision she desperately hoped would be conveyed by the final product. What was previously an ordinary courtyard, covered with rotting leaves and a solitary bench, is now not just a showcase for the artistic talent of the art department, but also a continual process. Motivated by the positive reactions of the Sparta community, Kucher's already planning on installing a fountain next year and hopes that with each batch of kids, the inspiration continues to grow. "I thought the whole thing was great! Not always easy, but always fun when everyone is as inspired as these kids are." Ricky Boscarino said, whose own Luna Parc will be hosting an open house June 22-24.