Parents get a peek at Ramay Junior High students’ art class
Posted on Thursday, November 13, 2008
BROOKE McNEELY Northwest Arkansas Times Lynn Meade, left, draws with her son Titus, 10, Wednesday during Ramay Junior High School’s first Family Art Night, put on by the school’s new art teacher, Nikki Kalcevic. Students brought their families to see the art projects they have been working on and to make new projects.
From making sculptures out of old shoes to simple drawings, parents of Ramay Junior High School art students got to see what their children were learning in class during Family Art Night Wednesday.
“ We have eighth- and ninth-grade visual art classes, ” art teacher Nikki Kalcevic said.
Parents and students were able to draw on a large yellow banner the class is making.
The students in the art classes have worked on a variety of visual art projects this year. These include taking old shoes and decorating and modifying them into small sculptures.
They also took small cardboard cones and used them as a foundation to make new figures.
“ I think it’s good that they learn to appreciate all sorts of art forms, ” parent Becky Goff said.
Students also learned printing by making their carving blocks with an image that could be printed over and over again, which is similar to how stamps use ink to engrave a label.
“ I think it’s great, ” parent Ken Goff said. “ It give me a chance to see what my daughter’s working on... a good chance to interact with the teacher. ”
Parent Rena Lee said she hoped to use an image her daughter developed in class on the family Christmas cards this year.
Kalcevic said they plan to study computer animation next year once the art classroom receives new computers.
Art is interconnected with many other subjects and skills students learn in school, she said.
“ I don’t think you can have one without the other, ” she said. “ Art is everywhere. ”
The Family Art Night coincided with the Arkansas Arts Center’s Artmobile visiting the Ramay campus.
Parents and students were able to visit the Artmobile and view its exhibits after visiting the art classroom.
The Artmobile was originally fitted with “ original American works on paper, ” Artmobile Director Virgil Lawrence said, but it includes a couple of small sculptures now. The intent behind visiting schools is that students will view the works and gain an appreciation for the arts.
“ The Artmobile serves as a teaching tool, ” Lawrence said.
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