Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy: Art Pals program bonds student artists

link Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy

Clovis Municipal Schools

A delightful new art project has been initiated by the Clovis High School Art Department.

Called Art Pals, Clovis High School art instructor Charlayne Heselton Pruitt contacted our elementary schools, inviting them to participate.

The idea of Art Pals is to “create a visual arts collaboration between elementary and high school students, similar to Pen Pals.” According to Pruitt, elementary students are invited to create an original work of art and send it to CHS for the high school art students to add to or expand upon.

Pruitt described the process: “Once we receive the original work, we have students select their favorite work of art and add their own twist to the work, creating a new layer or design. Once the high school students complete the work, we mail the work back to the appropriate school, delivering it back to the student who created the original art.”

Elementary students can then send a new work of art or the same piece back after they have added their own unique touch. Once completed, students can take their artwork home or maybe display in their school to show off the original works.

For the original artwork any medium can be used, from pencil drawings to markers, in addition to other media or materials. The decision is left open for the elementary students and their teacher.

Pruitt, who previously taught music at Parkview Elementary has, in fact, a bachelor’s degree in art, a bachelor’s in music, and her master’s is in arts integration. Working on the Art Pals jointly with Pruitt is Saprina Griffin, fellow art teacher at CHS, and the project has been a great success, with enthusiastic students at both levels.

With the first round of artwork exchange completed, an opportunity to visit with Zia Principal Shalei Bennett and fourth-grade teacher Kathi Holland presented itself. Holland described how thrilled her students were about participating; the kids were excited about the additions to their pieces of art and, especially, with some of the notes high school students had added to the backs of the artwork.

Pruitt reported the same response from her high schoolers; many of her students eagerly looked to see if they saw any submitted pieces from their younger siblings.

Pruitt also shared some of the wonderful notes from elementary students. One girl from an elementary school, who had drawn a puppy, specifically requested her high school Art Pal to add a “girlfriend dog with a collar that had a jingle.”

Zia, Ranchvale, Barry, and La Casita schools are participating so far in this innovative project. What a wonderful opportunity to encourage the arts in our classrooms.

Pruitt commented admiringly on the widely acclaimed music program in the district, expressing a desire to build the art program into one with equally high standards.

Vincent Van Gogh said, “It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much, performs much and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools and can be reached at: [email protected]