Library News

Ceiling artists take a trip back in time

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If you’ve ever been in the Community Room at the Seaford Public Library for a meeting, you’ve probably noticed the painted ceiling tiles with a variety of designs. You’ve also probably wondered, “Who did those?”

In 2007, children of all ages painted nearly 100 ceiling tiles in the library’s lower level, with two-thirds in the children’s room and the rest in the meeting room. The designs run from simple to complex. The artwork reflects nature, books, movies, sports teams and much more.

“It’s nice to see what I had in my mind then,” said Vicky Zaharopoulous, 17, a student a Seaford High School. She was 10 when she painted two ceiling tiles. One is a globe with the word “peace,” and the other has a book on an orange background that says “I love books.”

Time and age have a way of changing one’s perspective. What was a masterpiece eight years ago, is not so revered today. Just ask 14-year-old Matthew Zabatta, who was 6 when he painted what he thinks is a house with a person next to it. “It was probably the only thing I could draw,” he said. “I’m embarrassed of that. I wish I was younger than 6.”

Nicole Merendino, now 17, isn’t so thrilled in hindsight either. She doesn’t have too much recollection of making the flower, rainbows and hearts on a tile which hangs in the children’s room. “It looks like a 6-year-old did it,” she said, noting that she was a few years old than that. “I guess I liked flowers and I wanted it to be girly.”

When asked if she is a better artist today, Merendino didn’t hesitate. “Yes, much,” she said.

The idea was conceived by Cindy Schaaf, the popular children’s librarian who retired in January after more than 30 years. “Miss Cindy” brought the idea to the director then, and the tiles were initially only supposed to go in the children’s room. However, so many children signed up to do it, it was expanded.

Most of the tiles were new, to replace old cracked ones. Twelve children at a time came in to paint over a two-week span in January, and on Martin Luther King Day, Schaaf watched as custodians Dan and Frank O’Brien installed them. The tiles were put up randomly. Later that week, the library hosted an artist reception for the children and their parents and other guests.

“It was a fun project to do,” she said, adding that people would still comment on the tiles up until her retirement. “It was just another way to liven up the basement.”

Schaaf said as the children got older, they would show off their tiles to friends. Her initial concern was that the designs would be repetitive, but Schaaf was pleased with the variety.

“They are great works of kid art,” said Library Board President Peter Ruffner. “Extremely colorful and positive and optimistic in nature, as children are!”

Kaitlyn Sidoti, 14, wrote her name and also made a flower and some handprints using lots of colors. “It was cute,” she said. “I did it when I was little.”

Looking back, Sidoti said if she could change something about it, she would not have written her so big, and instead done a larger picture.

Mike Emmett, 15, had to walk through the meeting room to find his, as he could not remember his painting. At 7 years old, he painted a house and birds, and also put handprints all over the tile. He came to the library frequently for children’s programs when he was younger, so he signed up when Schaaf was looking for interested kids.

“I probably could have done a lot better now,” he said, adding that if his design is anything, it’s colorful.

Alison Coggins, 17, loves frogs now, and she did eight years ago when that was the focal point of her tile, which is in the children’s room. There are also two fish, a fly and the sun, which are all smiling, and a bright blue background.

“I thought that was the coolest thing in the world, to make a ceiling tile,” she said. “It shows how kids are involved in the library.”

Coggins added that she signed her name nice and big because she was proud of her work then.

Kenna MacLean, 15, feels good about her painting, which includes a girl, a rainbow, a flower and butterflies. “For a 6-year-old, it was pretty good,” she said, adding that it only took her about five minutes.

The tiles were placed on large tables, so children could stand and create their masterpieces. Looking at the ceiling now gives a good indication of what was popular back in 2007.

Zaharopoulous said that as time goes on, she thinks about it less and less, but whenever she visits she is reminded of the work she did eight years ago. “It’s nice to see them,” she said of the tiles. “You look up and it’s like, ‘I was a part of that.’”