The annual Fine Arts Festival recently came to a close. It
is one of my favorite times of the school year, as it is a chance to connect
with all the other county art teachers and the innovative and wonderful work
they our doing with their students. I enjoy gathering up our
student’s work from Walton to share with the greater community. It is a chance
to showcase their hard work, as well as provide a source of affirmation for
them to have work chosen for exhibition. It also gives me time as their visual arts teacher,
to step outside the daily whirlwind of studio practice, and take in the process
and work itself, from a different perspective. Each year it has proven to be an
experience that renews my commitment to the visual arts, and reaching out to
younger generations to share it. It also continues to prove, every year, that it
is a lot of work! Work that is worth it. From keeping the students striving to
produce their best work, to mounting it all for display ( usually late at night
at home, and often until the wee hours of the morning of the festival set-up),
to writing lesson descriptions to communicate the connections and concepts
being taught, and artist statements to reflect the ideas in individual works of
art, to waking early in the morning on the Sunday of set-up, assembling panels
with the effort of a whole team of visual art educators, and the much
appreciated assistance of Building Services personnel from the county as well
as the mall. We work together to get the panels covered and our work hung and everything
ready by 12pm, when the mall opens. It is always a site to behold. Art work
from every school in the county, filling the mall from end to end, exhibited
with care, commitment, and collaboration. It always feels wonderful to take a
deep breath, and enjoy a job well done while strolling the length of the mall
and taking it all in. Then, two weeks later, we join together again, this time
on a Sunday evening, to take it all down. This year Walton had 5 works of
art chosen for display at the county office building, and some of these will
also be in the calendar next year. Keep an eye out for them! Congratulate the
students that created works of art that will represent our school, for the
whole county to appreciate.
FAF prep :
SETTING UP:
Students At Work CREATING the ART...the most important part!
A few of the chosen pieces:
Sophia Zoll : Portrait of Nelson Mandela
