Community Spotlight: Art show at West Godwin makes teacher's heart smile

Published February 14, 2011 | Advance Newspapers

By Matt Marn

Students at West Godwin Elementary school, 3546 Clyde Park Ave. in Wyoming, will get to flex their artistic muscles at their annual student art show from 6-8 p.m. this Thursday.

The show has been put on for the past few years by the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, and Principal Phil Haack said the PTO takes pride in “going all out” for the event.

Erika Redrick, the art teacher at the school, said it was a great thing for the PTO to organize for the kids. While there was a districtwide showcase earlier in January, Redrick said the show at West Godwin has more of a competition feel.

“They enter their own ideas, their own concepts,” she said. “They have some freedom in art class, but in essence, they are all working on the same general project. Here, it’s really great they can express themselves, and feel comfortable doing it.”

Redrick said students all have a favorite medium through which to express themselves. She introduces them to many varieties of media in art class, and the competition is the open forum in which they can completely direct their own artwork.

“We don’t always get to fit their favorite works into the class,” Redrick said. “Now is the perfect chance for the kids to express themselves. They come and show me, they take what they learned in my class and make it their own. It makes my heart smile. It shows me I’m doing this right.”

Haack said the organizers have printed out ribbons for the winners, and arranged for a student piano player to come from the high school to play for the evening. All entries will be on display during the show, and winners, judged ahead of time, will be announced at the end of the evening.

“Everyone can enter whatever they’d like,” Haack said. “They work on it at home, using whatever medium they want, from coloring pages to clay to beads glued together... whatever the kids want to do.”

Haack said classrooms have been encouraging kids to enter.

“Many entries have already been from kids not always as active in class,” he said. “Parents have always played a key role. I’m impressed. Especially in a time where we push kids academically, it’s a great way to blend art and academics.”