“Autumn Free Fall” exhibit by Ridge students celebrates change of seasons

The kids at The Ridge Creative Center are past drawing stick figures for fridge decoration.

The school held its first student exhibition of the school year, “Autumn Free Fall,” showcasing the children’s artwork, on Thursday, October 27, at Redeemer St. John’s Lutheran Church at 939 83^rd St (between 7^th and 10^th Avenues).

“The exhibit is a colorful homage to all things autumn,” Victoria Hofmo of the Ridge Creative Center said in a press release.

Projects featuring leaves, apples and spiders hung on the walls. In October, the students started collecting and identifying leaves, and created leaf rubbings. And after watching snippets of Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach,” the students recreated the giant spider character.

“The spiders are definitely my favorite,” Adrienne Kupper, a parent, said. “We will probably put all this stuff at home now.”

The students used all type of mediums, including, clay, oil pastels, crayon, etc. One project combined vinegar and baking soda to make bubbles of apples.

Hofmo said the exhibit also focused on reusable and found objects. Leftover candy wrappers, wrapping paper, brown paper bag handles and more found their way into the artworks.

“I’ve been raised not to waste,” she said. “Some are made from coffee cup holders and some you can’t tell what they are. I think it gives you more texture and a lot more choices.”

One of the students, Gauri Vinjanampait, 8, already reuses items at home.

“It’s really creative to reuse items,” she said. “I liked all the artwork we did and how it was designed.”

In addition, the children made a collage depicting their favorite activity of summer to “savor summer’s final days,” according to the press release.

Besides the artwork, the students performed two songs, the “Oompa Loompa Augustus Gloop Song” from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree.”

“It’s a really cute play,” Hofmo said, “and they get to learn a little bit about music.”

They practiced once a week for the show. Gauri said she practiced the songs every weekend.

Fiona Steever, 4, was the youngest performer there.

“I heard her singing some of the songs before,” Fiona’s dad, Nick Steever, said. “She sings it in the stroller.

Performing in front of people is a big change for her because “She’s been shy in the past,” Steever added.

“I’m proud of them,” Jessie Au, a staffer at the school, said. “I didn’t realize how much they’ve done until we put it up.”