Willowbrook Park

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Staten Island’s Beauty Is Captured By Student Photographers

Photo by Katherine Gentsch

Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce the opening of Greenbelt Naturally, a photography exhibition featuring images that New York City students have taken of Staten Island’s Greenbelt. The exhibition consists of 60 color and black-and-white images taken by students who have found inspiration in the wonders of the Greenbelt’s natural environment. A reception, open to the public, is being held tonight, January 10, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Arsenal Gallery.

"Staten Island’s Greenbelt is a jewel of the park system, offering deep woodlands, undulating trails, lakes, ponds, and streams, and the wildlife that inhabit them—truly a piece of the countryside in the big city," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "The student photographs featured in Greenbelt Naturally capture moments of the beauty and essence of the Greenbelt as true works of art."

One of New York City’s largest and loveliest parks, the Greenbelt is a 2,800-acre string of natural areas, forests, parks, and trails in the heart of Staten Island. The exhibition is a retrospective collection of photographs that New York City middle school, high school, and college students have taken throughout the years for the annual "Greenbelt Naturally" photo contest. All of the photos depict a scene or location within the Greenbelt and received an award during the contest’s history.

The late Kevin Sheehy, an educator and community activist, started the "Greenbelt Naturally" photo contest approximately 15 years ago. The Greenbelt Conservancy staff has continued the tradition and expanded the program to include a written component. Excerpts written by the students accompany some of the photos on display.

The Greenbelt Naturally exhibition is supported by Mr. and Mrs. Robert O’Brien, Time Warner Cable and the Greenbelt Conservancy. The exhibition will be on display from January 3 –24, 2007; closed January 15, 2007. The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, wildlife, New York City parks and park history. It is located on the third floor of the Parks Department Headquarters, in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is free.

"I may not have gone where I intended to go,

but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."

(1952 – 2001)