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Luverne Elementary fifth-graders kicked off a new art education program with last week’s artist-led projects.
Mary Petersen of Luverne, who recently retired from teaching in the Hills-Beaver Creek School District, spent three 45-minute sessions introducing the 79 fifth-graders to watercolor painting.
The project took place over three days within the four classrooms’ regular schedules.
Principal Stacy Gillette said the school applied for a grant for supplies, and a little housecleaning went on through the entire school.
“We checked every closet and if we didn’t have it we ordered it,” Gillette said. “Right now we are using our elementary budget to purchase the needed supplies — which have been pretty minimal — less than $100 per grade level.”
Petersen’s goal as an artist is to open the students’ minds to creativity through exploring various color shades and shapes created when plastic wrap is pressed to the water-moistened paper and paint.
When the paper dried, students were challenged to make pencil drawings from the shapes they saw on the paper.
“I suggested living things,” Petersen said. “It gives a picture a little more meaning.”
Turtles, crabs, people and birds were among the popular living things students saw.
The art program is a pared down version of the “Expression is Elementary” art program proposed last year by the fifth-grade student council.
Instead of a month with each grade level, a community artist spends a few days completing a single art project.
This month Petersen will return and work with the 88 fourth-graders on a tempera paint project.
“We are going to do Ming Dynasty vases,” she said. “A little bit of art history will be included (with the art sessions).”
The “Expression is Elementary” program completes its rotation through grade levels in April with the kindergarten classes.
The program is also sponsored by Parents Partner in Education (PPIE), the parent booster club that raises money for teachers and school programming through its annual fundraiser, the Cardinal Dash, now in its sixth year.
Last year the group increased its goal to potentially include “Expression is Elementary” in its annual budget.
“We did not raise the funds we needed for as big of a program as we had hoped for,” said PPIE President Amy Chapa.
With the school paying for supplies, PPIE agreed to fund the artists’ stipends for the school year.
“We feel so strongly about the program because art is essential in the development of a child,” Chapa said. “It improves a child’s creativity skills and relieves stress, therefore bringing the child more joy and clearing the mind to help them focus for the rest of the day.”
The finished artist-led projects will be shared with the public on a virtual gallery through the Luverne Elementary School Facebook site.