The Indian Lake Elementary Artist in Residence Wetland Project will continue with plenty of community support once the coronavirus shutdown is over and classes can resume.
ILES art teacher Terry Nelson is confident the end result will be fantastic, whenever that may be.
“I was disappointed of course, but how could we continue without our little artists, who were eager to do the work?” Nelson asked.
“I just want to reassure them that while it is hard to wait, it will be worth the wait. We need them all to stay home and stay healthy, so we can continue working to finish, when it is safe to do so.”
Just before shutdown, Nelson and Artist in Residence Melissa Terlizzi accepted a $1,900 grant from the Logan County Electric Cooperative.
That money, along with a $500 grant from the Indian Lake Community Church, will allow for each ILES student to have their own copy of an alphabet book featuring the wetland-inspired artwork once the project is complete.
In addition, the ILES Parent-Teacher Organization also agreed to pay for five additional days for Terlizzi to work with students and finish the art installation. Nelson said she is thrilled with all the support for the initiative.
Since early December, ILES art students in grades kindergarten through fourth have been working with Virginia polymer clay artist Terlizzi through an Ohio Arts Council Artist in Residence grant.
Students used the easy-to-work-with colored clay to create take home plant life and wildlife examples of the flora and fauna found in the wetlands just behind the elementary school on the Indian Lake Schools campus. Teachers also used the study of these plants and animals in other areas of their grade level curriculum, such as science and writing.
Nelson explained the vast array of life in the nearby wetland represents every letter of the alphabet. As such, Terlizzi and the students were in the process of making letter panels covered in corresponding plants and animals that will be displayed in a permanent art installation at ILES. Those letters will also be photographed and made into a book written by students in Cammie Honaker’s fourth grade advanced language arts class.
When the shutdown occurred, Terlizzi took many of the letters home to Virginia for baking and completion. Once school is back in session, Nelson said. Terlizzi will return to help students finish the project. A community reveal of the art installation will take place when appropriate.