Student creativity is alive and well at Licking Heights–during Youth Art Month in March and beyond.
The district will host their annual District Art Show on Mon., March 18 and Tues., March 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Central Intermediate Gym, 6565 Summit Rd. SW, Pataskala, OH. The show will feature the works of students from preschool through 12th grade and include thousands of student creations. Admission is free and open to the public.
The art show is spearheaded by Rachel Fout, Central art teacher and Regional Director of the Central Ohio Art Education Association. This is the ninth year for the show, which is one of the biggest community events hosted by Licking Heights.
In addition to the district art show, several students will have their art featured in galleries around Columbus throughout the month in celebration of Youth Art Month.
Two of Fout’s sixth-grade students, Annabel Teeters and Ariel Ma, had art in the Youth Art Month (YAM) and Young People’s Art Exhibition (YPAE) statewide show sponsored by the Ohio Art Education Association. The show happened March 2 at the King Art Complex in Columbus.
“Every year this show comes up and I look for who has a drive to work on their project outside of art class,” Fout says.
Fout says that Teeters and Ma both created works that intrigued her and made her want to know more about the story behind them. Teeters painted a portrait of a clown that showcases her expressive line quality and sense of color, while Ma created a piece using light and dark shades and tones to explore the difficulties and challenges of friendships.
“We learn in class that sometimes art tells a story and makes people wonder. Students in this age group can use art to process so many emotions,” Fout says. “There was a lot of great work this year. It was so hard to choose.”
Two kindergarten students from North Elementary, Sarah Khanal and Hailey Streck, were also featured in the state art show at King Art Complex. Hailey’s work will be on display at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce state office for the rest of the month, as she was selected for their Youth Art Month gallery.
Sarah and Hailey’s teacher, Jessie Brooks, submitted abstract paintings the students created based on the art of Wassily Kandinsky. Each month, Brooks uses the art of famous artists to teach her students about different styles.
“With Sarah and Hailey, you can tell they want to take their time with their artwork, which can be rare with kindergarten students,” Brooks says. “With some students, art comes more naturally. You can tell these two really care about how their work will look in the end. They’re very particular about their colors, lines, and how elements balance and look in their piece.”
Brooks’s kindergarten students will each submit work for the district art show. Students will select which of their nine projects from this year they would like included in the show.
Even though they teach different age groups, Fout and Brooks agree that art has the power to help students understand themselves, their relationships and valuable social and emotional skills like sharing, communicating and understanding feelings.
“As soon as kids can hold a crayon, art becomes a part of their process of exploring,” Brooks says. “When they explore at a young age, they can learn and grow through the creative process.”
In addition to the sixth graders, Fout has three fifth-grade students who are featured in the regional Central Ohio Art Education Association art exhibition, "Colorful Dreams,” at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital during the month of March. This exhibit is free and open to the public. Selected students are Levi Moorman, Mia Smith and Gabriel Kagan. All three students used colored pencils to create their work.