Published: February 08, 2008 10:23 am      

Northern Hills parents work to keep art in school

EDMOND — In 1993 the parents of Northern Hills Elementary began a school-wide program facilitated, taught and funded by the Teacher Parent Organization.

While fifth-graders take classes with an art teacher, the rest of the grades do not.

Cindy Reich, co-coordinator of Meet the Masters, said the art program now has 125 parent volunteers.

“This was a way to keep art in the classroom,” she said.

Reich said on average four to seven parents from each class volunteer to teach an art lesson about an historical artist. Each class participates in four art lessons throughout the year.

Jake Pearson, a third-grader, said he enjoys working with different materials for each lesson.

Each lesson has a snack and art project that coordinates with the artist the students are learning about.

“They (students) feel a sense of accomplishment creating these unique pieces of art,” Reich said.

Reich said she stresses individuality when she teaches an art lesson to her son’s third-grade class.

“It’s a freedom of expression,” she said. “Art just allows them to express themselves and understand how each is different.”

Lucy Roberts, a third-grader, said Meet the Masters has allowed her to express the emotion of happiness.

“I don’t use dark colors,” Roberts said. “I’ve learned about artists and how there’s an easy way to draw.”

Anthony Macaluso, a third-grader, said his favorite art project so far this year was the abstract face drawing. He said he drew a man’s face, cut it in half and pasted it back together unevenly.

Third-grader Erin Noris said she enjoys incorporating silliness in her art.

“I like making weird sometimes even scary art things,” Noris said. “I like weird things hanging on the wall.”

The third-grade hall is decorated in fish chalk drawings from when Oklahoma City painter Ty Kelly visited the school.

“We started out with a circle and you just add lines and make the fins and tails,” said J.T. Reich. “I wrote my name in the middle and smudged it so you couldn’t find it.”

Cindy Reich said Meet the Masters will have an art show in spring to exhibit the students’ art.