Cloverdale students, teachers to host annual Art Fair Thursday

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

CLOVERDALE -- Cloverdale Community Schools will be hosting the annual Art Fair Thursday in the elemantary and middle schools.

The event is a collaborative effort between the art and music departments at Cloverdale. Art teachers Beth Williams, Janelle Cole and Daniel Varnes, along with music teachers Ann Pruitt and Bill Cole are working together on the school-wide project.

"It's important for us to include all of the arts. The arts encompass a lot of things in our lives. What we wear, what we drive and what we live in -- these were all designed by artists," elemantary art teacher Beth Williams stressed.

There will be concessions available for purchase during the 5-7:30 p.m. showcase of the arts programs. Williams noted there is no admission fee for the event.

During the course of the evening the choirs and bands will be performing with student art work on display throughout the school. Williams said she picks out two pieces of two-dimensional art for each student, and the first through fourth grade students learn how to frame the pieces for display.

"I hang close to 900 two-dimensional pieces on our wall in the elementary, and I think Janelle picks out two from her students also. That doesn't include the three-dimensional items in the hallway, such as the baskets and the ceramics," Williams explained.

Williams said all of the students get excited about the annual event, even the kindergarten students who are not sure what to expect.

"I tell them, 'We are going to turn this school into a museum.' They get really excited, and they should be proud of their work," Williams said.

"We've got a lot of creative kids here in Cloverdale. Art allows them to express themselves in a different way. There is no right or wrong."

In addition to the student works hanging on the wall, the school also invites artists from the community to showcase their work and discuss what they do. This year, there will be a weaver with a spinning wheel. Williams said in the past they have invited painters and photographers as well.

The Dance Workshop will also be performing during the event.

The Destination Imagination team will be selling canvas bags, which can be decorated at the Art Fair as a fundraiser for the group's upcoming trip to global competition. The group of seven Cloverdale Middle School students won the state contest in April and will be participating in the second global tournament in Knoxville, Tenn.

"This event is a nice way to connect with the community and the parents. This allows teachers and parents to interact outside of the normal school function," Williams said.

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