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Work by the littlest artists showcased in the big museum

COURTESY PHOTO | Shelter Island Early Learning Center student Larkin Morehead (left) with friend Piper Surerus.
COURTESY PHOTO | Shelter Island Early Learning Center student Larkin Morehead (left) with friend Piper Surerus at the Parrish Art Museum with the school’s collaborative artwork, ‘About a tree, an unreadable book’ (handmade paper, wool, feathers, twine and epoxy on sticks).

On January 28, the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill opened its 2017 Student Art Exhibition with work on view by more than 1,000 young artists from across the East End in grades preschool through 12th grade. The show runs through February 26.

Among the schools taking part in the show is the Shelter Island Early Learning Center whose two- and three-year-olds are the youngest artists represented.

Teachers Caitlin Bailey and art facilitator Hannah Gray supervised the creation of the collaborative piece, which is titled “About a tree, an unreadable book,” and is made from handmade paper, wool, feathers, twine and epoxy on sticks.

The artwork was inspired by an indigenous red oak tree the children visited during weekly walks this past fall. The young artists are Juliette Cox, Dante Cresto, Noah Lava, Gracie Marshall, Oscar Sheehan, Larkin Morehead, Ariebella North, Anthony Rando, Nolan Sanwald, Marco Shields and Jackson Surerus.

As a side note, also on view now as part of the Parrish’s permanent collection show, ‘Materiality and Process,’ is ‘Devil, Devil, Love,’ a 1970 artwork by the late Alan Shields, grandfather of student Marco Shields.

Though he never met his grandfather, both grandson and grandfather currently have artwork on view at the Parrish Art Museum.

The student exhibition runs through February 26 at the Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway in Water Mill. For more information visit www.parrishart.org or call (631) 283-2118.