Molding art education
We awarded a grand total of 13 art grants this year – the most in CEF history! We noticed a trend with two schools: they requested grants for ceramics materials. Many students are interested in ceramics, but the cost of materials can stretch art budgets. That’s why we are glad to help art teachers in Collierville with grants to equip and expand the interests of their students. We can’t wait to see the incredible projects students get to work on with the help of these grants!
West Collierville Middle School
Rather than just molding clay out of blocks, students now have the opportunity to create wheel-thrown pottery pieces. Getting behind the wheel and learning a new art form interests many students. Pottery wheels are expensive, so finding one in a middle school art classroom is uncommon. When CEF heard about the need for a wheel and the interest from students, we knew we had to grant materials for this project! The best part? This wheel will enrich art education for hundreds of students for years! Students can create projects with the wheel to be submitted to competitions and showcase their talent and artwork in the community.
The Art Foundations and Intro/Advanced Sculpture classes received all new styles and colors of glazes. They come in many varieties including but not limited to clear, opaque, matte and glossy. Glazes give students alternative ways of adding color to their ceramic projects and expand creative control over their pieces. The quantity we provided will glaze up to 1,500 student projects, which represents several years’ worth of projects.
Collierville High School
In general art classes and art clubs, students can use a brand-new slab roller to create thick and even slabs of clay. A slab roller is a large piece of studio equipment that has a wheel to adjust the height and turn to flatten the clay. This tool ensures each student will have the same size block of clay.
Students enrolled in the sculpture program can create jewelry with new reusable materials. Along with physically crafting their jewelry, students are learning how jewelry makers use the elements and principles in their everyday work. Learning this specialty niche of the art world is a great creative outlet for students who want to wear their designs.
If you want to see these grants' photos in action, follow us on Facebook. We’ll post content from teachers throughout the year of the special projects funded through our grant program.
