FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 8, 2018 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 81
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Ozone Park school sings a happy tune with new music program
BY NAEISHA ROSE
nrose@cnglocal.com
@QNS
P.S. 377 in Ozone Park is the latest
elementary school to partner with
Education Th rough Music (ETM), a
music education program that provides
musical education to underserved communities.
At the start of the fall semester, students
who attend the school located at
150-15 Raleigh St. received a comprehensive
musical education from a qualifi ed
music teacher weekly, according to ETM.
Every student at P.S. 377 learned
how to use an instrument by one of the
instructors trained, mentored and provided
by ETM, according to Education
Th rough Music.
In an Education Th rough Music video
on their website, students are depicted
learning to play the violin, the cello and
other instruments.
“Every student at P.S. 377Q will now
receive quality music education as a core
subject throughout the school year,”
noted Director of Programs Colleen
Stewart. “Th e ETM program provides
students a well-rounded education that
will help engage and support learning in
other key areas. We are excited for the
students of P.S. 377Q to grow not only in
their music classes but their overall education.”
According to the video, music courses
help students in other areas like math,
reading and speaking with others and are
just as important as main subjects like
math and English. ETM students have
also been shown to have better reading,
writing, and mathematical skills aft er
being in the program.
For the 2018 to 2019 school year,
34,000 students across New York City
would have been in an ETM program,
according to Education Th rough Music.
“Education Th rough Music is thrilled
to welcome P.S. 377Q to our list of
long-standing partner schools for the
2018-2019 school year,” said Katherine
Damkohler, ETM Executive Director.
“Music education helps provide new
opportunities for students to help them
achieve maximum success both academically
and in life. Together we are helping
provide high-quality music education to
every student.”
Queens sculptor explores happiness in new exhibit
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
adomenech@qns.com
@AODNewz
Sculptures of lopsided three tiered
cakes the color of a Lisa Frank dream
with sunken in tops will be part of a new
art exhibit opening in Long Island City
on Nov. 1.
Queens artist Maria Liebana’s fi rst solo
exhibit, ‘¿Tres Marias: Donde se Fue mi
Felicidad?’ or ‘ Th ree Marys: Where did
my happiness go?’ will be open to the
public from 6 to 9 p.m at Local Project
Art Space located at 11-27 44th Road.
A relatively new artist, Liebana’s past
work has focused on examining conventional
societal standards of beauty and
worth. Th is time Liebana has chosen to
be personal and show how those conventions
impact her happiness and selfworth.
Th e title of the exhibit comes
from name of the three stars that make up
the constellation Orion’s Belt in Spanish.
Liebana is half-Colombian and half-Peruvian
and a fi rst generation American.
“It’s ok to be imperfect,” said Liebana.
“But I contradict myself and wish and
want to be perfect.”
All of her sculptures are kitschy in color
and style with layers of mass-produced
plastic materials on top of them. Her pieces—
slightly resembling lumpy elementary
school ceramic projects—have a nostalgic
charm to them. Ironic since Liebana
is also a K-3 art teacher at Avenues:
Th e World School in Manhattan. In the
exhibit there are three large scale pieces,
a series of cakes and a series of self-portraits.
“People see them and think they are
happy but they come from a dark place,”
said Liebana. Some of the self-portrait
sculptures depict Liebana in not so fl attering
poses. “Me being lazy is not a
beautiful sight,” she said. At least three
of them are of Liebana lying down, staring
at her phone, looking at image aft er
image of things, people and places more
beautiful and more desired than herself.
Th e exhibit explores the contradiction of
being an empty consumer in a patriarchal
society.
“I don’t know if I am depressed but I
am always feeling like something is missing,”
said Liebana.
On Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. there will be
an artist talk about the exhibit at Local
Project Art Space.
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