Eastern Hills Middle School art students shared their creative expression in a community project set to travel all around the city.
With the Killeen ISD school set conveniently next door to the city of Harker Heights library, students, teachers and volunteers walked from the campus to participate in the painting project.
About 135 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, with art teachers Rose Kleefman and Javier Wichgers, spent part of the day Tuesday painting pictures and positive messages on a pair of rain collection barrels and a two-panel mobile mural.
With guidance from arts commission volunteers, students worked on a shaded grassy area within view of their school, moving between the different creative projects.
The activity was a collaboration between Eastern Hills Middle School fine arts and the Harker Height Arts Commission.
Visting students also toured the library, took part in storytelling and made bookmarks.
The school’s visual arts students also got to see their own art projects from the fall semester on display throughout the library, where it will remain on display through the year.
Kleefman was thrilled to show her students the power of shared art and visibly proud of the work they got to see on display.
Seventh-grader Kassidy Rowe agreed it was a special experience.
“I think it’s cool. It gives me more ideas. It’s cool because it’s hands-on and it gives us more experiences.”
“We like our children to participate in a community event. Since the library is so close, we saw the opportunity to walk them over, and the library saw the opportunity to collaborate with the arts commission,” said Kleefman.
“It really was a group effort to get them over here,” she said. “Today we’re out of class, outside painting with friends and making more friends and learning about reading and the library.”
“I can see them decompress. In class there is a lot of structure. We have standards and teach methods and art history. Today they get to use the colors they want to use. I’m seeing some styles come out. It’s a little art therapy, which is nice.”
Eastern Hills Middle School art collaboration photo gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720330400306/