The gymnasium at the Central Consolidated School District administration office is displaying art pieces that explore different art forms and themes from students across the district through April 16.
Grade levels range from kindergarten to high school, with schools submitting pieces that showcase mediums such as oil pastel, pencil, watercolor, texture and collage.
Bringing together student artwork in a districtwide art show allows teachers to collaborate and find inspiration by seeing pieces from different schools, said Arianna Sutter, an art teacher at Ojo Elementary School.
“As art teachers, we don’t get to see what everybody else is doing, there’s just one of us in the building, so it’s nice when we get those chances to meet up to kind of see what everybody else is putting on the table,” she said.
According to Sutter, the idea behind the collective art show began seven years ago with Nicole Wayne, a gifted teacher, who collaborated with Manfred Duncan to host the event at the Performing Arts Center in Shiprock.
Hosting the event in Shiprock provides a central location for families to attend, Sutter said. At the gym entrance, a sign-in sheet displays the number of families who have visited the art show. Ojo Elementary, Kirtland Elementary School, Nizhoni Elementary and Newcomb Elementary School all have numerous parent signatures.
“At the end of the day, these students, a lot of them move between different schools in the district as well – you can see again when, when they come to these events,” Sutter said. “My kids that have moved on to middle school and high school, I’ve seen them through the years – so it’s really nice to kind of see them and catch up.”
For Sutter, the art pieces submitted by Ojo Elementary students depend on the budget for art supplies each year.
“For the elementary art and part of the middle school art we get our money provided through grants,” she said. “It depends on what you’ve got money-wise that year, what you can order, or what you’ve saved through the years.”
A collection of papier-mache structures displayed at the art show this year is an example of how Sutter collects supplies for her students.
Using cardboard, Sutter said her students were able to complete the papier-mache animals and a circus tent displayed at the art show.
Sutter said some teachers apply for several grants to ensure students receive the supplies they need.
“In my mind that’s a teacher that’s going above and beyond,” she said. “You don’t hear about that. You’re only hearing that because I’m telling you that and nobody else would know that he was doing all that extra work outside of work to get supplies and materials for his students.”
In her classroom, Sutter said her students tend to be engaged with any art form she teaches.
“They really love getting to make things with their hands. Drawing, painting, oil pastels, chalk pastels – we’re doing baskets right now, we’re weaving,” she said. “They enjoy the opportunity to try it.”
Often, students do not have the supplies or support at home to explore art outside of school, Sutter said.
“One thing that I really focus on is it’s OK to be messy, and it’s OK to make a mistake and maybe your work doesn’t look perfect. That’s just part of it,” she said.
If a student is struggling to grasp a concept, Sutter said classmates will often help, which she said builds confidence.
As student art hangs and sits displayed inside the district gym, with some earning ribbons of recognition, Sutter said she considers success the moment she hears a student express confidence in their art.
One student, who is nonverbal and does not often acknowledge Sutter, spoke to her on the birthday of Dr. Seuss, and she said those moments are what make the work emotional.
“As a teacher, it’s just hard to quantify them as they happen every day and again, it’s just great when you do hear or see that, that confidence and the ability,” she said. “It’s just really great to work with kids, because they’re just so awesome. They’re great people at the end of the day.”