By Steve Lingle:
To honor the life of longtime Pinnacle Charter School supporter and beloved sculptor Simon Griffis, the school recently unveiled a colorful sculpture of a phoenix – a sculpture that Griffis himself had suggested, prior to his tragic passing in late June 2010.
The sculpture, standing over seven-feet tall, was designed by Pinnacle students and created in conjunction with The Ashford Hollow Foundation’s Griffis Sculpture Park. Since Pinnacle’s inception in 2003, The Griffis Sculpture Program has been an integral part in after-school programming, with 15-20 students per semester collaborating with Griffis’ staff to design their own steel sculptures.
“Pinnacle Charter School has been a long time partner of the Ashford Hollow Foundation,” said Sarah Fonzi, art teacher with the Ashford Hollow Foundation. “They now have six large sculptures at the school as a result of years of collaboration between the students and Simon Griffis.”
And while the partnership has remained valuable to the Foundation, Pinnacle has found it to be a tremendous benefit to their students and mission as well.
“At Pinnacle, we’re focused on educating the whole student, reaching beyond academics,” says Chief Academic Officer Heidi Rotella. “This program allows our students to explore their creative side and learn valuable problem solving skills. And none of it would be possible without the vision and dedication of Simon Griffis.”
The Ashford Hollow Foundation, through Griffis Sculpture Park and the Essex Art Center, is, more than ever, committed to promoting the visual and performing arts through exhibitions and performances. Their collaborative educational sculpting program is designed to fit the need of the students and the community. It provides students a chance to work with professional artists, participate in team building and creative problem solving activities, and have pride in a permanent installation at their school. “Hopefully, the completion of the Phoenix will show the community we are still very dedicated and passionate to continuing Simon’s mission,” added Fonzi. “He has left his mark with brightly colored jovial sculptures all over Western New York and this was a piece he was particularly excited about making.”