Brianna Caputo, an 8th-grader at IS 34 on Staten Island, gushes with enthusiasm about her art classes. “When we finish one type of medium, I always wonder what’s next — and I can’t wait,” she said while she and her family admired the student artwork displayed at the Tottenville school’s sixth annual art show.

That level of excitement makes it all worthwhile for art teachers RoseAnn Victoria and LeeAnne Thristino, who first teamed up at the start of the 2018–19 school year and decided to culminate their lessons with a show each June.

“We were looking for a way to showcase the program,” said Victoria.

The show includes works from about 300 6th-, 7th- and 8th-graders who selected art as their minor.

“This program is amazing,” said Brianna’s mom, Piera Caputo. “I’ve seen Brianna’s confidence and abilities grow each year.”

Every grade does different lessons, building on the techniques and skills they previously learned.

“We try to expose our students to as many different mediums as possible,” Thristino said. “We draw, we sculpt, we collage, we paint.”

Each student creates a final art project that is displayed in the girls’ gymnasium-turned-art gallery for the big show. Pieces utilizing metals, acrylic paint, watercolors, chalk pastels, India ink, Sharpie markers and even cardboard and newspaper fill the room.

The event is also a fundraiser — the art on display is for sale — and the money raised goes toward art supplies.

“We are able to buy specialty items that we use in our classes we otherwise might not be able to include,” Thristino said.

Stacey McLean is an English language arts and social studies teacher at IS 34 and the mother of a 6th-grader in the school’s art program. As a parent and a colleague, she marvels at the art teachers’ impact on their students.

“It gives the students a chance to express themselves in different ways,” McLean said. “My son comes home and talks about art class all the time — a lot more than he talks about his other classes.”

Victoria said she and Thristino are especially gratified when a student who might not stand out academically takes special pride in what they are able to create in art class. “It gives them something to be proud of,” she said.

Joseph Caputo, Brianna’s dad, praised the school and the program. He and his wife purchase not just Brianna’s art, but other students’ creations at the art show as well.

“It’s a great way to give back to the students,” he said while his wife looked over the displayed valentine heart sculptures they had their eyes on this year.

And even though Brianna is graduating, the Caputos will be back at next year’s show. Another daughter — Serafina, a 5th-grader — will attend IS 34 in the fall.

“We’ll get to do this all over again,” Piera Caputo said.