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Updated 04/05/2011 03:35 PM

Students Transform Church Pews Into Works Of Art

By: Roger Clark

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A divine new exhibit by students from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan is presenting a modern twist on some church furniture. NY1's Roger Clark filed the following report.

Alyssa Bascom likes baseball so much, she turned an eight-foot-long church pew into a dugout.

"It's not even just about the game it's very nostalgic for me as well," Bascom said.

Her pew is one of 32 transformed by School of Visual Arts students on display at the Art Director's Club on West 29th Street. Instructor Kevin O'Callaghan, who chairs the school's 3D design program, bought them on eBay for $500 from a church in Newark, New Jersey.

"The reverend actually helped us and he was thrilled that we were going to use this for art," O'Callaghan said.

The end results of the three week project based on what "worship" means to students include a butcher shop, created by Kathryn Brylinsky.

"I love to eat, you know, and I think that there is a really great social aspect behind eating and drinking," Brylinsky said.

There's also Steve Borts' tribute to his favorite sport -- hockey -- with some help from his teammates.

"They actually donated some used sticks and broken sticks, it was pretty cool," Borts said.

Students in the class say they love the project because they get a chance to design something, and then use their hands to make it come to life.

"You can make whatever you want, that's the really important thing we can learn from this class," said SVA Student Yuna Cho.

"I like being physically active with a project, and I think that's a really cool relationship that I get to have with the work I create," said SVA Student Fitgi Saint-Louis.

The exhibit runs through Friday.

For more information, visit sva.edu.