Clay Art Center, Thomas Edison Elementary Launch 'Community and Clay'

A venerable nonprofit organization in Port Chester is working with young kids here to create a piece of sculpture that will grace the grounds of an elementary school for years to come.

The Clay Art Center and Thomas Edison Elementary School have joined forces under a program called “Community and Clay,” under which third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students will create tiles to be gathered in a mosaic that celebrates the kids’ heritages as well as the Port Chester community.

According to Thomas Edison Principal Ivan Tolentino the arts “contribute significantly to our children’s language development in school.”

The arts “are an important component of our academic curricula as we shift towards the Common Core State Standards,” Tolentino said in a press release. “Activities and programs that the Clay Arts Center provides are essential to us meeting our goals.”

“Community and Clay” is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with matching funds from the Port Chester School District.

“The mosaic created by students will be installed permanently in the center court play area facing Rectory Street giving students the opportunity to have ownership of their space as they create a piece of lasting public art for the next generations of students to enjoy,” the press release said.