Oracle Fall 2020

P A G E 2 , T H E A D E L P H I O R A C L E , F A L L 2 0 2 0 By: Susan Benjamin, Grade 12 Talk about seizing the moment! Talented artists from Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn were given a chance to show- case their creativity for the community on Saturday, October 17th, 2020 as the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID hosted an event called “Street Moments.” The event fea- tured live music from local performers and an art showcase by local artists including those at Adelphi. Event organizer Mr. Michael Devigne said he was inspired to create this event after a conversation with a local artist. “I was speaking to Jeannine Bardo from the Stand4 Gallery in Bay Ridge about outdoor popup events and new ways to bring more arts programming to Fifth Ave- nue,” Mr. Devigne explained. “She had mentioned an idea that she saw involving community members in Europe hosting small street events. It is called the Bench Collective. I thought it was such a cool idea and something we could replicate in our own way here in Bay Ridge.” Fifth Avenue has been making a con- scious effort to promote art in recent months. The BID recently implemented a program to paint and revitalize the avenue’s benches. Local artists were given the freedom to create lasting works of art using the benches as a canvas. At the “Street Moments” event, lo- cals passed by Adelphi’s display next to Skinflints Restaurant and admired the art pieces the students produced. “Street Moments” was created to make up for the lack of outdoor events and street festivals due to the pandemic. The success of this first installment has Mr. Devigne excited to begin planning the next event. He explained, “With the pandemic happening we will have to be sure to con- sider ways to keep crowds small, safe and possibly mobile … The key to doing any of these events, though, is collaborating with other organizations, local artists and the nearby businesses.” Adelphi’s featured student artists en- joyed representing the Academy and inter- acting with visitors throughout the day. Upper Schooler Erika even sketched the iconic Skinflints Restaurant right there on the spot, much to the delight of its owner, Mr. Gerard Bell. “I was so proud of my work that was presented at the showcase and I had such a great experience sketching Skinflints Res- taurant,” Erika said. Erika was not the only senior from Adelphi who had the opportunity to show- case some original work. Her classmate William, who handed out lollipops in the shape of palettes to visitors, had several of his own pieces on display. “It was an honor for my work to be showcased in front of Skinflints,” he said. “It was a very successful event and I am proud to have been a part of it.” Continued on page 3 Adelphian Artists Showcase Talent Pictured in front of Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn’s display are (standing, left to right) Art Instructor Ms. Nikki Fregara, Head of School Ms. Iphigenia Romanos and Director of Academy Operations Mr. Albert Corhan, Mr. Chuck Otey, Skinflints owner Mr. Gerard Bell, Verena Mentzel-Otey, Adelphi’s Director of Community & External Relations Mr. Chip Cafiero and science teacher Mr. Silvester Rragami, whose artwork was also featured in the display. Kneeling in front are some of Adelphi’s featured artists: Ilona, William, Luana and Erika (left to right). Art Instructor Ms. Nikki Fregara shows some of Adelphi’s artwork to Lower Schooler Sebastian, who came to support the event!