The Holley Central School District recently received the 2014 Arts Education Grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council. This grant enables the district to offer a special program called “Seeing as an Artist” to first grade students at the Holley Elementary School this May.
Artist Stacey Kirby presented the week-long program to students, leading them through an artistic process that begins with a nature walk to select an object of study.
“The process the artist uses encourages students to use their five senses to observe nature and sharpen their observational skills,” said first grade teacher Katie Trupo. “Studying a single object in this way requires them to develop focus, patience and attention to detail.”
The artist met with students on Monday, May 12 and talked to them about what it is like to be a professional artist. She also used this time to prepare them for their upcoming nature walk when they will be on the lookout for an item from nature that has particular colors, shapes and textures. The students will create a drawing of the item they found and then they will select a single drawing that the artist will use to create a mural for the school.
The finished mural will be unveiled at a ceremony at the Elementary School on Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
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