Riverhead High School Commemorates Memorial Day With Powerful Art Display

Over 1,000 Student-Made, Ceramic Poppies Installed Outside Calverton National Cemetery

RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK (MAY 2025)—In honor of Memorial Day weekend, the Riverhead High School art department will showcase a powerful tribute to the nation’s heroes. From May 22nd to May 29th, a ceramic poppy installation made by dedicated student-artists will be on display at the entrance of Calverton National Cemetery. Each handcrafted poppy honors and recognizes the sacrifices made by those who served our country.

“The installation offers a moment of reflection, honor, and community connection,” said Riverhead High School art teacher Katy Wilkinson, one of three art teachers who led the project. “We encourage everyone to stop by during the week to view the display and pay their respects. Let us come together in remembrance and appreciation.”

This annual art installation was started by Riverhead High School art teachers Debbie Cantalupo and Selena Pagliarulo, whose respective creative crafts and ceramics classes began crafting the poppies and adding to the collection each year. After several years, Ms. Wilkinson’s creative crafts classes joined in the initiative as well. The collection now includes over 1,000 poppies created by Riverhead High School students throughout the years.

In previous years, the ceramic poppies were installed at the Suffolk County Historical Society in Riverhead, surrounding the World War I monument. This is the first year the poppies are being installed outside the entrance of Calverton National Cemetery.

The original inspiration for the display was a 2014 large-scale art installation at the Tower of London created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and conceptualized by stage designer Tom Piper. Titled “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red,” the Tower of London’s moat was filled with 888,246 ceramic red poppies, each representing a British or Colonial service member who lost their life in World War I. The piece served to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the war.

For more information about the Riverhead Central School District, please visit the district’s website at www.riverhead.net. Happenings in the district can also be followed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/riverheadCSD. #BlueWavesPride.

Riverhead High School art students hold the ceramic poppies they crafted

Riverhead High School art students make ceramic poppies for their powerful installation project