Students Get Artsy: CVE is ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

Connoquenessing Elementary School in Zelienople had two very special visitors last week—a life-size lion and moose from Butler-based metal sculptor Bill Secunda. 

“The children loved the surprise guests,” said CVE principal DeeAnn Graham. 

Secunda, who is Graham’s brother, installed the exhibit to help kick off Earth Day as well as CVE’s Open House and Art Show, “Animals and Habitats."

The CVE Art Show took place April 23 for those in first through third grade and April 25 for kindergarten, second and fourth grade.

Some of the animal-inspired art works included fourth grade Monarch butterfly prints made by fourth graders, clay owls by the third grade, Pennsylvania animal paintings by second grade and “Wild Things” paintings created by first graders. 

The third and fourth grade classes also created a giant bird sculpture for the school’s main lobby.

“It was a fun week,” Graham said. “CVE was definitely home to the ‘wild things’ for our art show!”

A self-taught artist, whose work has been featured at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh and Disney’s Epcot Center, Secunda specializes in welding life-size sculptures made from metals, nails, tubing and steel.

The lion and moose he lent the school were created using welded nails.  

To learn more about Secunda’s artwork, click here.