Perhaps a hand-printed line on a colorful welcome poster board best described what hundreds of people viewed last Wednesday night inside Johnston’s Early Childhood Center.
“Life is about using the whole box of crayons,” the notation – which was placed under a sea-like dripping of paints – read.
Whether it was walking down a certain corridor inside the spanking clean facility where kids attend Johnston’s all-day kindergarten or scooting into a classroom, there were classic colorful creations aplenty done in many sizes and shapes by as people suggested “artists of the future.”
In the center of it all was Kim Hatton Marshall; the ECC’s popular, skilled and always creative art teacher who Principal Julie-anne Zarrella said “has done yet another great job with our Art Night.”
Yet, in her true style, Marshall just went about her business without any fanfare and welcomed proud parents – and in some cases grandparents and aunts and uncles – what may have been the ECC’s most impressive art presentation ever.
Almost every inch of wall space was filled with artwork featuring everything from pumpkins to flower faces and caricatures. There were even decorative objects hanging from the ceiling to give the special effect of almost being in another land.
“Art night was a great success as always,” Marshall said with a wide smile on her face. “Students walked through the hallways and looked at all the art work from other students.”
Meanwhile, Marshall further explained: “Each student had three to four pieces of artwork up for all to see. And they received help from all our great faculty members to put that great work up. Family and friends came to not only look at that artwork but to also get creative in the interactive art stations.”
One station, in particular, was a DIY get creative station and another was all about different projects that Marshall did with the children throughout the school year.
“The idea was to have the students now teach their families,” Marshall went on. “This year for the first time we had an Art/Technology station where students could use applications on the iPads and Chromebooks to create art.”
The ECC’s Art Night also featured a Paint Station that was located in the back hallway and, as Marshall mused with a smile on her face: “Everyone enjoyed.”
Needless to say, Art Night – or any major production like Marshall organized for last week – takes lots of preparation and planning.
“But it’s all worth it!” Marshall exclaimed while receiving well-wishes and congratulation from a number of parents. “It’s all worth it to see the looks on my students faces when they see their artwork hanging on the walls.”
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