Visual Art Teacher Alison Safford Shows at Slovakian Gallery

Over the summer, visual art teacher Alison Safford had a show at Slovakia's At Home Gallery. The show, called Avalanche, was inspired by Alison's Visit the the synagogue in Šamorín, which features of fresco of the night sky, a deep blue backdrop with golden stars. 

"I think of the humans trying to make the stars their own, and the stories behind that," Alison says in her artist statement. "it is both a destructive and hopeful act. This uncertainty creates stories for me. They are conflicting stories, as often the way of real stories."

The exhibit allows gallery goers to rock in rocking chairs and "meditate on the stars and their disappearance." Click here to watch a video of the exhibit in action. 

"Our rocking causes the cello bows to slowly wear on the metal bar, gold chips falling and accumulating on the floor," Alison explains. "The act is both constructive and destructive, as is often the way of real stories."

CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.