Art teacher honored by her students
What really bothered Janet Shulman was the tole painting.
As one of two new art teachers at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough in 1972, Shulman took over the craft classes -- and soon nothing about the art department would be the same.
''Tole painting is just flat painting, like the designs on Pennsylvania Dutch barns, and there was no creativity involved," Shulman explained. ''The students were using carbon paper to trace the designs onto belts and then using leather tools to create leaf patterns and such.
''But this was just following directions. So I locked the stencil books away and told them they had to do their own designs, and they hated it -- and they hated me -- especially the older kids who had been doing this for years. But the younger ones took to it."
Shulman and her colleague then launched a mission to modernize the department. Classes in printmaking, ceramics, painting, and jewelry were added. They offered pop-art-style soft-sculpture and students' creativity was unleashed, with one girl making a hassock that looked like a cheeseburger -- lettuce and all.
''It was easier to change the curriculum than it is today," said Shulman, who lives in Shrewsbury. ''It just grew and grew."
Eventually, Shulman taught her own passion -- photography -- as well.''We started in a custodial closet," she said.
''It was two weeks before the start of school, and the school really hadn't done anything, and I was panicking," she said. ''So I called a few students, and they rode their bikes over, and we knocked out all the shelves, and then my father made us counters and new shelves with the wood."
For the next 31 years, Shulman would affect many young lives as she taught her students how to find their own vision through the lens. Some went on to pursue photography themselves, be it medical, fashion, news, or fine-art camera work.
''She always pushed for me and never pigeonholed me," said Atom Moore, now a 24-year-old photographer living in Brooklyn who shoots mainly tattoo artists and body piercers.
''She just kept encouraging me to keep going and explore further. High school is where I found my love for photography."
Moore is one of 16 former students of Shulman's who are exhibiting work along with their teacher in ''Decades of Seeing: A Photography Retrospective" at the Arts Center in Southborough. Students from each of the four decades during which Shulman taught are represented, including photojournalist Paul Kapteyn of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
After Shulman announced her retirement last year, a former student suggested the center offer her a solo retrospective. True to her mentoring nature, though, the teacher asked them to include her proteges as well.
Pam Rynning-Chiasson of Hudson, who has exhibited in numerous galleries, is among those participating. ''She was critical to my survival in high school," she said. ''She was one of those teachers who drew you in and really made you feel like somebody. I still remember sitting in the courtyard with her, one on one, discussing those little plastic cameras everyone was issued."
Shulman's black-and-white images, which she always pairs in a single frame, tend to explore comparisons and contrasts. ''I'm interested in shapes and in forms and the elapsing of time, whether it's the blink of an eye or the change of seasons."
Other works by her students include color images of mannequins as symbols of societal dictates, by Rynning-Chiasson, and Moore's ''Mermaids on Cellphones," which captures two phantasmically clad participants at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.
Photo artist Aileen Maconi of Southborough, who teaches in Newburyport, as well as Marianne Burke of Boston, personal photographer for the punk band The Dropkick Murphys, are also showing work alongside images by Samantha Barthelemy, Adrianne Choiniere, Thomas Conlin, Elizabeth Haranas, Freida Harper, John Hentz, Nicole LaCoursiere, Jes Pepe, Jenny Shulman, Anna Walsh, and Emily Walter.
''I always said photography is the most democratic art form because not everybody feels they can draw a picture, but everyone knows he can take a picture with the camera," Shulman said. ''Now, that doesn't mean that every person that takes a picture is a photographic artist, but that's our mission, to get them there."
''Decades of Seeing" will open today and run through Sept. 18 at the Arts Center in Southborough at 21 Highland Road. Hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Admission is free. An opening reception is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 8. Call 508-481-9351 or visit www.southborougharts.org.
BAY STATE COUNTRY BOYS -- John Penny didn't need to move to Nashville to be a country boy.
For roughly 40 years, the Watertown native and various incarnations of his John Penny Band have brought the twang and torch of country tunes to the Bay State. And when big names are in the region, it's Penny et al. who often get asked to play backup.
''We have a really good reputation in Nashville. Once you play for someone and you do a good job, word gets around," said Penny. On their resume are gigs with Roy Clark, the Judds, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Hank Williams Jr., Tammy Wynette, Emmylou Harris, and Tanya Tucker.
But the group does just fine on its own, which is why Framingham invited the musicians to play this summer's final Concert on the Green tomorrow night. Along with tunes by country greats old and new, they'll throw in a little light rock and a ''Hokey-Pokey" for the children. ''We like to get the crowd dancing and singing along, too," Penny said.
Penny, 70, fell in love with country music listening to the radio as a child. ''Back in those days, music was general. It wasn't labeled on each station like it is now; every station pretty much played the same whether it was country, pop, or rock 'n' roll. So I played everything, but country was what I really enjoyed.
''Rock 'n' roll was about a beat, but country was about the words and the stories they told."
So Penny saved up and at age 16 bought a guitar. ''It was just a little cheapo guitar. It was made by a company called Kay," he said. Eventually, he was making a living singing and strumming country tunes in the Northeast.
''Things were really good during the 'Urban Cowboy' days. Lots of clubs were booking country acts after that movie came out, but there's always been an audience here, especially in New Hampshire and Maine."
These days, Penny plays a snazzy Ovation guitar. The band -- which features Steve Staines of Framingham on lead guitar -- plays regularly throughout New England, and the group recently was inducted into the New Hampshire Country Music Association Hall of Fame.
''I guess I've come a long way since that little old Kay," he said.
The John Penny Band will perform from 6:30 to 8:30 tomorrow evening at the Framingham Village Green on Edgell Road. No rain date. Admission is free. Call 508-294-2743.
FUZZY READING -- Every final Friday of the month, children's book characters come to life at the Dover Town Library. Clifford, Winnie, Arthur, and Curious George are among recent guests at the monthly Character story times.
This week, Peter Rabbit will be hopping down the bunny trail to make an appearance. As with each story time, a reading, a meet-and-greet, and a film are included.
During the half-hour main event (timed to fit the preschool attention span), Peter's story will be read, then he'll pose for pictures. Anyone who wishes may stay for a short film of Beatrix Potter tales.
''The kids really enjoy it, and it brings a lot of people from all over, not just from Dover," said children's librarian Judi Long of Needham.
The character costumes are provided by Barnes & Noble free of charge, but the library has to supply that lucky someone who dons the big furry suits. Usually, it's head children's librarian Bonnie Pierce of Needham.
''The visibility could be better, but it's fun," Pierce said. So, does she use method acting to work her way into her silent roles? ''Do you mean: 'What's my motivation?' Yeah, sure, am I in there telling myself, 'I'm a big red dog; I'm a big red dog.' No, really, it's pretty easy. You just put on the costume."
The event targets the 2 to 5 age group, but all ages are welcome and, in the summer, older children like to attend. Future guests include Little Critter next month, Eric Hill's Spot in October, and Laura Numeroff's Cookie Mouse in November.
Peter Rabbit will visit from 10:30 to 11 a.m. tomorrow in the Dover Town Library at 56 Dedham St. Admission is free. Call 508-785-8117 or visithttp://library.doverma.org.
News of arts-related events may be sent to westarts@globe.com. 
