Aquebogue Bottle Bug is a T.E.A.M. Effort

Together Everyone Achieves More

(October, 2006) Aquebogue Principal Phil Kent's favorite school acronym is T.E.A.M. It stands for "Together Everyone Achieves More." The "Bottle Bug" project, a recent effort that involved every student in the school, their art teacher and two local artists, is a perfect example of Aquebogue teamwork in action.

How big is it?
After the building project of a few years ago, Aquebogue obtained a couple of new courtyards. One of them is long and somewhat narrow, but totally enclosed and calling out for something amazing in the way of outdoor art. Local Aquebogue sculptors and artists, Cliff Baldwin and Marta Baumiller, whose daughter attends second grade at the Aquebogue Elementary School, volunteered for a week-long effort to build an uniquely constructed and very colorful caterpillar in the courtyard made entirely of detergent bottles. Every child in the building contributed to building this whimsical piece of art. It contains 750 detergent bottles, is over 40 feet long and approximately 40 inches high, contains over 25 different colors, and has noodles for antennae and light globes for eyes.

The artistic process. . .
The sculpture itself was just one part of this unique learning experience coordinated by Aquebogue art teacher Maureen Ahern. Mr. Baldwin and Ms. Baumiller met with all the art classes to explain the project, talked with students as they studied colorful pictures of caterpillars, engaged the children in drawing their own caterpillars, naming the caterpillar (one child chose "Aquebug"), and then guided them in attaching the detergent bottles to the wire structure that shaped the sculpture.

The artists . . .
The children also got the opportunity to work with two very caring and creative artists, who, among other art ventures, have their own creative lighting business called Lampa in Aquebogue. The two artists have shown work in galleries throughout the United States and around the world. (The Bottle Bug installation is detailed at http://www.cliffbaldwin.com/bottlebug/.)

Marta Baumiller is experienced as a sculptor and millner. Mr. Baldwin is an artist, designer, and filmmaker. He most recently held a position as Associate Professor at Pratt Institute's Graduate Communication Design Department where he taught Design in Motion and Communication Technology in the Digital Design Program. He has lectured and exhibited his sculpture and video in Tokyo, Cologne, Berlin, Mexico City, Los Angeles and New York City.

House and Garden magazine said of one of Ms. Baumiller's creations, "Marta Baumiller's Audrey floor lamp from Lampa is mad fun."

Art can be a fun, collaborative effort . . .
Art teacher Maureen Ahern said of the two sculptors, "It was a wonderful collaborative and creative event (sculpting the Bottle Bug) with these two creative people. The children had a great time. They learned to work as a team, and they also learned something about how art happens. AND, when and if we decide to take the piece of art apart, we'll have accomplished one amazing recycling project."

What did the kids think?

"It's fun to be a sculptor," said one little boy.