Once again, students at Tyrone Area Elementary School are enjoying a visit from a special guest artist, thanks to the PTO who sponsored this year’s event.
In conjunction with the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and the PA Council of the Arts, this year’s “artist in residence” is Tom McCarty.
McCarty is a self-taught and self-employed sculptor from Lilly. Beginning last week and continuing through Friday, he is sharing the history of traditional wood carving, as well as demonstrating the art to students. He has been on the roster with the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts since 1996 and is a graduate of the Gilman School and Touchstone Center for Crafts. He has taught numerous classes and has supervised community sculpture projects.
McCarty conducts workshops and residencies in sculpture where students are taught the basics of sculpture and are encouraged to express their own unique creativity through it. He instructs students in the “hands-on” approach to the creative process and expressing their own individuality.
With a minimal amount of formal art education, McCarty tries to incorporate the natural beauty and design of the wood into his original artwork.
According to a recent release, McCarty said when it comes to visiting the school, his greatest joy comes from seeing students light their creative fires through hands-on work on their own sculptures.
Besides instructing all second, third and fourth grade classes, McCarty is also working with a core group of 15 fourth graders. Each afternoon the group spends an hour and a half working on their own sculptures under the supervision of McCarty. Following the nine scheduled sessions, students will have completed their own sculptures, which when combined, will form a mobile to be displayed in the school.
Funding for this artist is being provided by a grant through the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and the Tyrone PTO.
