{"id":119646,"date":"2016-11-30T07:12:36","date_gmt":"2016-11-30T12:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu?p=119646&preview=true&preview_id=119646"},"modified":"2017-01-06T15:18:05","modified_gmt":"2017-01-06T20:18:05","slug":"students-design-ornaments-for-national-christmas-tree-display","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2016\/11\/students-design-ornaments-for-national-christmas-tree-display\/","title":{"rendered":"Students Design Ornaments for National Christmas Tree Display"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visitors to the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. this year will learn about Connecticut history and UConn through 12 ornaments on the tree from the Nutmeg State that is part of the annual America Celebrates display on the Ellipse, between the White House and the Washington Monument.<\/p>\n

The ornaments on the Connecticut tree were designed by six UConn students in a class led by Alison Paul, assistant professor of illustration and animation in the School of Fine Arts, and are part of the 2016 Ornaments from the Across the USA display program of the National Park Service and National Park Foundation.<\/p>\n

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ornaments161018a072_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a039_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a039_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a067_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a067_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a035_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a035_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a036_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a036_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a064_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a064_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a071_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a071_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a059_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a059_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a043_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a043_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a056_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a056_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a052_cropped\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a052_cropped<\/div>
These ornaments created by School of Fine Arts students will hang on Connecticut's tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in December. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

The School of Fine Arts was recommended for the assignment by the office of U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who was asked by the Park Service to assist in identifying artists in Connecticut to design the ornaments. Richard F. Kehoe, a 1980 UConn graduate who is director of the senator\u2019s state office, suggested the UConn artists.<\/p>\n

“These ornaments will adorn the National Christmas Tree in Washington, showcasing Connecticut’s iconic treasures and traditions,\u201d says Sen. Blumenthal. \u201cWhat better way to celebrate the creative talents of UConn students and the rich culture of our state this holiday season.”<\/p>\n

Six seniors were selected to participate in the class because of the challenges of the assignment, which required creating designs that could be either two-dimensional or three-dimensional in form. While there was no required theme for the ornament designs, the students were tasked by Paul to develop their concepts based on Christmas, Connecticut, and UConn. The students in the class included Tessa Archambault, Ezra Blanchard, Paige Kibby, Renald Louissaint, Olivia Narciso, and Bruno Perosino. All of the students are in the illustration\/graphic design concentrations of the Department of Art and Art History.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese students all have a lot of experience working with clients, which is what they are going to do when they graduate,\u201d Paul says of the student designers. \u201cIt was not unlike things they\u2019ve done before, but of course we\u2019re thinking of the audience. Who goes to events like this? You look for the common denominator in the audience. These are people who are in the Christmas spirit, in D.C., and feeling celebratory. They may not know much about Connecticut. These are all of the things we wanted to focus on.\u201d<\/p>\n

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ornamentsph1_7615<\/div>
Renald Louissaint '17 (SFA) discusses plans for his snow globes and how he will create them, as his classmates listen: From left, Ezra Blanchard, Tessa Archambault, and Olivia Narciso, right. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7777\"<\/a>
ornamentsph1_7777<\/div>
Renald Louissaint \u201917 (SFA) assembles his ornament, which was inspired by UConn's renowned basketball program. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7659\"<\/a>
ornamentsph1_7659<\/div>
Paige Kibby \u201917 (SFA) tells her classmates what inspired her ornament design and how she plans to bring her idea to life. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7750\"<\/a>
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Paige Kibby \u201917 (SFA) explains her ornament idea to assistant professor of art Alison Paul as she begins to assemble it. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7683\"<\/a>
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Ezra Blanchard \u201917 (SFA) carefully creates her ornament after receiving constructive criticism from her classmates. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7681\"<\/a>
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Ezra Blanchard \u201917 (SFA) carefully constructs her ornament after receiving constructive criticism from her classmates. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7703\"<\/a>
ornamentsph1_7703<\/div>
Olivia Narciso \u201917 (SFA), center, discusses with Tessa Archambault \u201917 (SFA), left, and assistant professor of art Alison Paul, ways that she can further develop the idea behind her ornament. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7669\"<\/a>
ornamentsph1_7669<\/div>
Olivia Narciso '17 (SFA) discusses how to develop her ornament with assistant professor of art Alison Paul. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7762\"<\/a>
ornamentsph1_7762<\/div>
Alison Paul, assistant professor of art, provides students with feedback on how they can advance their ideas for their ornaments. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornamentsph1_7720\"<\/a>
ornamentsph1_7720<\/div>
Bruno Perosino \u201917 (SFA) adds the finishing touches to his ornament after receiving helpful advice from his classmates. (Garrett Spahn\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div>\"ornaments161018a033\"<\/a>
ornaments161018a033<\/div>
Twelve ornaments created by UConn students will adorn the Connecticut tree that is part of this year's National Christmas Tree display in Washington, D.C. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Each of the students created ornament designs on 5.5-inch clear plastic globes, with the option to use two-dimensional or three-dimensional images either inside the sphere, on the outside or both. The ornaments reflect research conducted by the students on various aspects of Connecticut\u2019s history, notable residents, iconic symbols, and the University. The ornaments included:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • A portrait of Harriet Beecher Stowe backed with her landmark Hartford home inside one globe, and another with a nuclear submarine on one side and a sperm whale, the state animal, on a globe painted blue, by Archambault.<\/li>\n
  • Longtime Connecticut resident Maurice Sendak is honored by painting some of his famous characters carrying holiday gifts on an ornament, and a UConn-themed Christmas sweater covers another globe, by Blanchard.<\/li>\n
  • Watercolor paintings of robins, the state bird, hanging inside the ornament, and a car bearing Connecticut license plates \u2013\u00a0 the first state to use car plates\u00a0\u2013 with an evergreen tree tied to the roof, by Kibby.<\/li>\n
  • Tiny basketballs inside the ornament with mobile portraits of basketball stars Ray Allen on one side and Diana Taurasi on the other, and a nutmeg plant inside another globe, by Louissaint.<\/li>\n
  • A cube inside the sphere with a holiday design using the style and color palette of Hartford artist Sol LeWitt, and a diorama-like scene of evergreen trees covered in snow, by Narciso.<\/li>\n
  • The base of the storied Charter Oak, with the 1662 Royal Charter inside, and a bust of Mark Twain with a quote from \u201cA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur\u2019s Court\u201d in the background, by Perosino.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The students say researching new aspects of Connecticut to consider for the designs was challenging, as well as \u201centertaining.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cAll the Connecticut fact resources have the same 10 facts,\u201d Archambault says. \u201cI was trying to find out more about famous people from Connecticut, and one [online source] said Marilyn Monroe was from Connecticut. I knew that was not true, so I had to cross-check everything. It turns out she lived here for a brief period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cPart of the fun of the challenge was finding something that is connected to Christmas, UConn, or Connecticut that you didn\u2019t necessarily know,\u201d says Narciso. \u201cThat\u2019s why historical figures like Harriet Beecher Stowe were attractive. My ornament is based on the artist Sol LeWitt, who was part of the modernist movement and the minimalist movement for art. He was a major figure in graphic design as well. It was interesting to explore a person who could bring something different to Connecticut.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Adds Perosino: \u201cThere are facts and history of Connecticut that are iconic. I thought it best to draw inspiration from things like that, stories that have to do with the history of Connecticut. They represent what this state is.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, which began in 1923 with President Calvin Coolidge, will take place on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Ellipse in President\u2019s Park. The event will be televised on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel. The walkway surrounding the National Christmas Tree and the 75 state and territory trees, known as the Pathway of Peace, is open to the public free of charge from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in December.<\/p>\n

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