Seventh-grade students from Auburn City Schools got to be Pablo Piscassos for the day during the Auburn Studio Project.
The Auburn Studio Project is an annual community-based art education program for seventh-grade students in Auburn City Schools. This year’s program focused on the artwork featured in the 2016 Auburn Department of Art and Art History Studio Faculty Exhibition at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.
While at the museum, students toured the faculty exhibition and participated in several workshops
The students had the opportunity to create three hands-on art projects.
The first, saddle stitching, allowed the students to create and bind their own sketchbooks that they continued to use throughout the rest of the day.
The second project, encaustic art, was a wax-based project where the students collaged an envelope and later painted the envelope with wax.
The third project allowed students to paint paneled pieces, which will all be put together and displayed at Drake Middle School.
Duriel Barlow, principal of Drake Middle School, said the school is excited to have their students’ art displayed there.
“Anytime we have the opportunity to showcase our kids’ talents, it is great,” Barlow said. “This display is one way of doing just that. The display will be placed in the seventh-grade building. The seventh-grade students actually created this art themselves, so this will be something they can be proud of for years to come.”
Cari Cleckler, art education specialist with Auburn Parks and Recreation, said her favorite part about the Auburn Studio Project is how hands-on it is.
“The kids get so excited about this event,” Cleckler said. “Some of them have never been to a museum before, so just getting to go and see what all a museum has to offer is so amazing for them. With this event, the students really get to see the art and understand how it’s made because they are making it themselves.”
Cleckler said she hopes the project helps the students better appreciate art museums.
“Hopefully, since this project was so hands-on, the students will have a positive experience to associate with museums and the art they display, and they will be excited to visit others in the future,” Cleckler said.
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