Speas Global Elementary School was one of four schools in the state highlighted in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Virtual Visual Arts Gallery.
March is Arts in Our Schools Month in North Carolina, and NCDPI took the opportunity to celebrate the art that students are producing in schools. Select schools got to submit photos of projects to be hosted in videos on the department’s YouTube page. Speas got to represent Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in the final week of the exhibition, and their projects can be seen now at https://www.youtube.com/@ncpublicschools/videos.
The 84 pieces Speas submitted come from a variety of classroom art projects. In keeping with the school’s global-minded curriculum, many of them were built around customary styles from countries like Italy, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and more. While the prompts for these pieces came from teachers, the students’ whose work was selected had plenty of room to get creative and make something unique to their own tastes.
“It was really fun because even though they told us what to make, we got to decide how to make it,” said Fourth Grader Jovie Viator.
The art projects spanned a wide variety of media as well, including papercraft, clay, yarn, beading, acrylic, watercolors, and a range of drawing tools. Many students were working in formats that were completely unfamiliar to them at the start of the school year, but with enough dedication, they were able to come up with something they were proud of.
“It was a lot more to work with than other things we’ve done before,” said Third Grader Abelyn Lopez. “It was very challenging, but also a lot of fun.”
While making art can be energizing and enriching in any context, there’s been even more excitement around Speas about art because of the virtual gallery. Knowing that a project is going to be on display for hundreds of people to see provides extra incentive to give your best effort, and students have risen to the occasion this year.
“I try my best all the time in my art,” said First Grader Paola Romero. “When I show it to people and impress them, it feels really good.”
WS/FCS is always looking for ways to celebrate student artists, whether it’s through the Superintendent’s Gallery at the Central Office, the Spring Arts Extravaganza at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, or through statewide initiatives like this.
Speas Art Teacher and CORE Awards Teacher of the Year Nominee Kristina Stevenson says showing students’ art to as many people as possible is key to building their confidence in their talents, and it’s always affirming for her to see her kids having a great time during these events.
“I always try to fit in as many students as I can,” Stevenson said. “Seeing how proud they are of their work, that’s my whole world. It’s my ‘why’.”