On June 3, 2024, Alberto Rocca, an artist and Mr. Vidrini’s friend who lives in Italy, joined the Peekskill High School Sculpture class via a video call. The students learned about Mr. Rocca’s journey and his artistic techniques, which led to their own art creations.

Alberto Rocca studied at a prestigious art institute in Italy, which led him to a job with a paleontologist company, designing and recreating dinosaur bones. Upon discovering that this path did not fulfill him, he made the bold leap to pursue a more personally driven career path. Inspiration came to him after he stumbled upon some driftwood while walking his dog on the beach. This led to his becoming a sculpture artist. He advises students, “If you want to be an artist, you will always be judged. Don’t let that deter you from finding your joy and what’s inside your heart.” The kids were receptive and enjoyed learning directly from Mr. Rocca.

As a follow up, the Sculpture students began their own project, working on their artistic creations in the Robotics room, where they had the opportunity to use the different tools in order to make their visions become pieces of art.

The Art Department looks forward to continuing this tradition and including more students in the 2024-2025 academic year.