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Art of Education
An accomplished artist with fond memories of the supportive instruction she had at Joel Barlow High School, Leann "Lee" Skalkos dutifully accepted an invitation to be a substitute teacher there last years.
Doing so primarily due to a personal request from former teacher Dan Spinner, she thought the experience would be interesting, but temporary.
Little did she know it would reshape her life.
"Now I'm actually going on to become certified, because I like it so much," Skalkos said about the classes in painting, jewelry, basic art, drawing and sculpture she has been substitute teaching since last spring.
The 1982 Barlow graduate is so grateful for her unexpected career path that she created a 125-pound suspended metal sculpture for the school foyer as a way to say thanks.
"I wanted to give something back to the school," said the Easton metalsmith and co-publisher of the arts digest East Coast Artisan. "There was nothing in the foyer. I really felt they needed something there."
Helping her create the piece was one of her students, 17-year-old Barlow senior Dan DeCamillo.
"I'm happy with it," said De Camillo, an Easton resident. Collaborating on the metalwork made school more interesting for him, he said.
The kinetic copper and stainless steel mobile measures 12 feet long by 8 feet wide.
"We hand-fabricated the entire piece," said Skalkos, who donated the work. "It's designed to spin, so it's quite the project."
The piece went through several incarnations as Skalkos and DeCamillo sought to acquire a "light and airy" quality as well as create a product that would meet fire codes. The finished work is actually the fourth model; it was installed in April, during spring break.
"Fire marshals came in and pre-approved the design and installation," said Barlow Principal Ross Calabro, who calls the work "extraordinary."
"With respect to the design and physics of the whole project, it's quite an impressive accomplishment,' said Calabro. He said the mobile will be on permanent display.
With the construction phase of the building project culminated, "there's no reason to dismantle it" he said. "It's a wonderful gift and effort."
"The concept is simply beautiful," added Maureen Kilbourn, head of the school's humanities department. "I was really just awed by it."
Kilbourn was on the faculty when Skalkos attended Barlow, and remembers her as "a wonderful student." She said Skalkos is equally impressive as an artist and teacher.
"She is so kind and understanding with the students," Kilbourn said.
Always willing to encourage others, Skalkos noticed DeCamillo's talent for art when he took her jewelry-making class.
"He did so well, I asked him if he wanted to work on an independent project," Skalkos said. DeCamillo spent fifth period this semester laboring on the metalwork, for which he received credit.
The most difficult aspect of the project was its installation, "hanging it and getting it level," DeCamillo said.
Although he is pleased with the completed mobile, he hopes he's not quite finished yet. He'd like to further enhance the lobby, he said.
"Even if we could paint a mural behind it, that would make the foyer a little bit lively," he said.
Whether or not that occurs, creating the mobile unquestionably has developed DeCamillo's interest in art. He said he likes the idea of pursuing a career as a professional artist - perhaps as a metal sculptor.
"That would be really cool. That would be excellent," he said.
The Connecticut Post, June 3, 2006.