A sculpture depicting children at play has been donated to Rochester’s School of the Arts by the estate of regional arts patron Sylvia Reid Davis.

Unveiling of the sculpture, which will occupy a 30’ x 30’ space in the school’s courtyard, will take place Friday, September 7 at 3:30 p.m. at School of the Arts, 45 Prince Street. A reception will follow.

“This major donation will add beauty and grandeur to School of the Arts and to the surrounding neighborhood,” said Principal Brenda Pacheco-Rivera. “We are extremely grateful that we were chosen as the recipients of this impressive piece of artwork, which will inspire our students and staff on a daily basis.”

Entitled “Children at Play,” the sculpture was designed by Sylvia Davis and fabricated by local artist and East High School graduate Mark McDermott.

Born in 1907, Davis was an internationally exhibited artist and the founder in 1951 of The Arena Group, the first artists’ group in Rochester to promote the work of emerging contemporary artists. Now known as the Arena Art Group, it continues to promote contemporary artists creating non-traditional and experimental works in the visual arts.

A graduate of East High School and Nazareth College, McDermott studied with sculptor Albert Paley, was a founding member of the company Archigraphia, and since 1988 has worked on his own. His work can be seen throughout the greater Rochester area including the town of East Rochester where he is a resident.

School of the Arts is Rochester’s premier arts high school, offering majors in Music, Dance, Drama, Visual Arts, Theater Technology, and Creative Writing. The school annually presents a full season of theatrical and musical productions which are open to the public.