December Art Show – Starring the Kids of Jacksonville Elementary!

Jessicca Haynes Displays a Wonderful Piece of Art

In December, Art Presence is partnering with students from Jacksonville Elementary School to feature artwork inspired by master artists Jackson Pollock, Albrecht Durer, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Eric Carle.  The December show opens on Friday, December 7 with an artist’s reception from 4-7. The show runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am – 5 pm through December 23. Each year, the art students at JVE produce incredible works of art – this is the first show where their work will be displayed in a professional gallery, complete with professional matting, lighting and management assistance from the   Art Presence board of directors.

Click here to see a video interview with Cozette, an art Student and Jessica Haynes and a preview of some Art Presence Art!

Jacksonville Elementary students will have the privilege of displaying their work in a real art gallery thanks to the effort and invitation of Anne Brooke, a supporter of the Jacksonville Elementary Art Program.  Anne is a well-known and celebrated local artist and is a founding member of Art Presence, which operates the art center in the former Children’s Museum on the Courthouse grounds. To help inspire more students interested in art, Anne has also invited several neighboring elementary schools to visit the exhibit for hosted daytime field trips at the Art Presence site.

It may surprise you to know that the art program at Jacksonville Elementary is volunteer-led and generously funded by the PTO, private donations and in-kind support from local art associations and businesses.  The program is in its ninth year with a goal of introducing elements and principles of design to expose students to a wide range of art media. Students in the program create a wide variety of art including clay sculpture, landscape, still life, masks, weaving, illustration, graphic art and prints, in a wide variety of styles, from primitive Mezo- American to Renaissance realism to impressionist to modern.

The parents at Jacksonville Elementary  generously give energy, time and money to the students because they believe that children who regularly study and create art perform better in school, both socially and academically. Studies show that students involved in art programs even score better on academic achievement tests.  Art Program leader/parent volunteer Jessicca Haynes sums it up best by saying, “What inspires me to run the school art program is seeing kids learn to love and appreciate art and the creative process…it opens their eyes to see the world around them in new ways. I am very excited to work with the professional artists from Art Presence and see our students’ work displayed in a real gallery for the community to enjoy… we look forward to a big turnout!”

Mark your calendar: Jacksonville Elementary will conclude this year’s Art Program with their 9th-annual art show, themed “For the Love of Art,” on Thursday, March 21st from 5-7:30. The entire community is invited to attend this show held in the school gym and celebrate another year of artistic creation!