Hartland students collaborate with art

Posted: June 14, 2010

Hartland North and South elementary school students will come together next year when the schools reorganize into kindergarten through second-grade and third- through fifth-grade facilities. But with the help of an artist-in-residence and a lot of creativity, students have already joined forces to ease the transition into their new environment.

For over a month, students have worked with Karen Norris, owner of Delafield pottery studio Our Creative Outlet, to design and create a 1,000-tile piece of art in Hartland South Elementary School's front entrance.

"We did a lot of work in a short amount of time," Norris said.

The artwork, made up of handcrafted clay tiles and a painted mural of trees, was a collaborative effort among students in the two schools and will serve as a welcome into the newly reorganized building that will house third- through fifth-graders next year.

Students from 4-year-old kindergarten through fifth grade all had a hand in the project's creation. Kids in the upper grades drew pictures on soft clay that represented school subjects, and the younger ones used the outline of their handprints to create "adorable tulip shapes," Norris said. Clay bugs, bats, grass, birds' nests and various other animals also dot the wall. Norris transported every clay tile to her Genesee Street studio to fire in the kiln and hauled them back to be glazed by students in colorful hues. Norris painted the mural last week, and volunteers organized and helped install tiles on the wall.

"This was a project for a lot of people," said Norris.

The project is open-ended and designed so new students also have the opportunity to create tiles for the entranceway art, Norris said.

The piece, called "Stand for Education," is a play on words, explained Norris. The mural shows a pathway winding through a group of trees, sometimes called a stand, and represents the lifelong journey of education, she said.

Keeping art in education

The artists-in-residence program came to life after budget deficits forced the district to cut regular art from the elementary schedule this year. Parent Teacher Organization President Kim Tomich said the PTO felt passionate about supporting Principal Dave Risch and the teachers to keep art in the school.

"It's a vital part of education, and it is always the first thing to be cut," said Tomich.

As a result, four local artists have worked with students this year to explore music, painting and drawing and integrate the creative process into the school day.

"It's been very exciting," Tomich said.

The artwork began as a project for South, but after the School Board's decision to reorganize the schools, North students were added to the mix.

Norris met with about 426 students at South and 220 students at North in group classes once or twice starting at the end of April to brainstorm and construct the project.

Norris, who describes herself as an analytical artist, said she wanted students to have a lot of input in the artwork, and they took ownership of their work.

"I love working with kids," Norris said. "The kids had great ideas. They are so creative."

Norris opened her studio in Delafield more than six years ago after spending 20-plus years in systems programming. With a high-stress job, Norris had begun taking more art classes as a way to unwind. Norris said it was a downsizing at her last job that made her realize how much she missed art. Norris, who has a degree in science and art, opened Our Creative Outlet, offering parties, classes, workshops and a gallery.

Art helps kids' brains go through the process of determining, analyzing and making decisions, said Norris.

"The arts really help develop the thought processes you use in other places, like math and science," said Norris.