Greg Petecki, left, prepare to cut the ribbon dedicating
Karve, the newest public sculpture by H-F students.
(Photo by Marilyn Thomas/HF Chronicle)
H-F bio pond. (Photo by
Marilyn Thomas/HF Chronicle)
The karve, the latest student-created sculpture at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, is a beautiful thing. As it floats on the surface of the bio pond, the pure white boat appears as a graceful swan. When the sun is at a certain angle, the karve’s reflection appears to be a star. Still others see a sailor’s cap.
That’s what art is about, says art teacher Greg Petecki. The students came up with something that is expressive, interesting and thought provoking.
The karve was a working ship of the Vikings. That made it appropriate, since the H-F mascot is a Viking. Yet the 3-D art students designed the boat using Japanese origami principles. It was constructed of rigid foam insulation and fiberglass on a wood frame. Students built the boat in designated space in the H-F wood shop. Several learned to use power tools in the process.
Students gave the karve three coats of resin on the fiberglass, three coats of white paint, a clear coat sealer, and some industrial glow powder to give it a shimmer at night. The boat measures 14-foot long and 7-foot high. In mid-May, students launched the boat and paddled alongside in gym class canoes to get the karve into place.
The boat can move, but because it is fairly lightweight, it is anchored with five gallons of concrete and tethered with airplane cable.
Surrounded by family and friends, Petecki and the 11 students who worked on the project this past school year dedicated the karve during a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 21 led by school board member Jody Scariano.
Student artists on the project were Cinae Collins, Noah Colón, Kenneth Jones, Jalen Kidd, Katie Kuester, Leah Moss, Jayla Neely, Anna Novak, Mariela Reyes, Kailah Simmons, Kate Morrill-Ploum and Diamond Smith.
You can see them in action through a video on the creation of karve.
This is the 12th public work of art Petecki and H-F students have created, and the first designed for water. He admits he initially hesitated when the idea was presented because H-F administrators do their utmost to keep the bio pond free of any encumbrances and set strict punishments to keep students from doing anything to or on the water.
The teacher was delighted when the school board approved the project and thinks it is a great addition to the campus. The boat will be removed for the winter months to a storage dock that’s being built for the gym canoes.
During the 2015-16 school year, Petecki’s art class sculpture will be located in the H-F community. H-F students’ first public art piece is a bell tower that stands in front of the Flossmoor Library.
Contact Marilyn Thomas at [email protected]
students floats on the bio pond. (Photo by
Marilyn Thomas/HF Chronicle)
