On June 5th, the New Horizons Education Program students held an art exhibit and lunch fundraiser. In addition to enjoying good food that they had made with the Lund community, students were able to share some of their artwork and poetry with larger audience. Attendees enjoyed having a glimpse into some of the students’ creative work and learning experiences. The students were very proud to share the projects described below:
Telling a story in six words: Students try out the technique with some wonderful thought-provoking memoirs. Two highlights: “Cat Lady with no Cats” and “Crafting won’t fill the emptiness inside.”
Book art: Students used old books as an art medium and challenged themselves to write Black out poetry and create 3 dimensional expressions. It was challenging to get students to the point where they felt okay “breaking the rules” and marking up/writing on the pages of a book.
3-D cardboard painting: This art activity required students to turn a 2-dimensional picture into a 3-D low relief painting. Students teased out what layers they wanted to “pop out” and then translated those shapes onto cardboard. The result is a dynamic 3-D painting!
Also on display – soap made in chemistry class, snowflake ornaments made from recycled materials and quilling from a quilling master class taught by our resident Quillmaster Deb Mayville.
Art is an important part of the curriculum at NHEP because creating art gives students a feeling of self-accomplishment which can be very valuable in improving self-appreciation and confidence. Making art provides healthy outlet for expressing and letting go of complex emotions that sometimes cannot be expressed with words. Art allows students to take risks in healthy and supportive environments and perhaps develop an interest or passion that they can continue in their lives beyond school.
