When Helen M. Knight Elementary Art Coach Bruce Hucko invited his students to donate their original artwork to the school’s upcoming Arts Extravaganza, he thought that a few kids might offer a single print.
By the time that the last print was in, though, he had to revise his final tally: It had grown to 46 original, signed prints and two original printing plates.
“Wow! 46 prints,” Hucko said. “The generosity of our students has no match.”
Their artwork will go on sale this spring, when HMK holds its annual Arts Extravaganza on Friday, March 27. Proceeds from the sale will augment the school’s arts budget.
According to Hucko, students in Mrs. Camps’ sixth grade class spent five art sessions learning how to make their glue line prints.
The students first had to create a design based on Egyptian and Mesopotamian art, since that is what they studied.
They made drawings on foam core and then traced the drawings with white glue. This created a raised surface. Using brayers, ink and working in teams of three – including an artist, print runner and process manager – each student made a single color, then a two-color print. In a second printing session, the same teams worked together to make multi-color prints.
In the final session, students ordered, numbered and signed their prints. At that point, they had the opportunity to embellish some or all of them, including their printing plates.
Once the donation and exhibit prints were stacked, students were invited to trade their remaining prints. Some of them recently left school with the beginnings of their very own art collection.
Other prints will be on display on March 27. During the Arts Extravaganza, classes will walk from room to room and grade to grade, looking at all of the various student art exhibits.
There will also be an artsy dress-code awards ceremony, and in the afternoon there are performances of music and theater, as well as art demonstrations by community professionals. Lastly, there will be a silent auction that raises funds for art supplies, as well as an exhibit of staff and parent art.
For more information about the upcoming Arts Extravaganza, email Bruce Hucko at huckob@grandschools.org.
Proceeds will benefit school’s arts budget
