Celebration for Beloved Art Teacher
on Jan. 12
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A celebration in honor of beloved Huntington High School art teacher Robert Potter is planned for Wednesday, January 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. The free event is open to the entire community.
Mr. Potter passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday, November 22, much to the shock of students, colleagues and the rest of the school community. He taught ceramics (pottery) and sculpture at Huntington High School since 2006 after a major career change.
After earning a bachelor of fine arts degree at Pratt Institute, he worked for 17 years for famed artist Peter Maxx. It was while working as a practicing sculptor and studying for a master's degree in art education at Adelphi University that Mr. Potter came to Huntington High School to observe art classes. It wasn't long before he was hired by the district and just as quickly cherished for his enthusiasm, talent and ability to inspire.
An hour-long celebration is planned for January 12. Mr. Potter's career has been described as "remarkable" and his impact on the community has been called "unforgettable." The celebration will be followed by refreshments in the school cafeteria.
Mr. Potter's car featured a license plate emblazoned with the term, "INSPIREU." Joan Fretz, district director of fine and performing arts, said it summarizes "the single most important reason why anyone teaches. This was the message that Robert Potter chose for his license plate and we now choose for our gathering on January 12th, when we will share our memories of our beloved teacher and the lessons we learned from him. We encourage everyone to join us."