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Students from Luverne, Brantley, and Highland Home high schools visited the Johnson Center for the Arts on August 20th to view their displayed photography on exhibit until this Friday.

The students also participated in a new project that integrates with another subject they are studying: conservation. Students were able to use a combination of new and recycled materials to create a textile wall hanging that represents water and will be used in their booth at the Pike County Fair and will focus on the arts as well as water conservation.

When you purchase anything new, water use goes into the production of that item. By using old materials and re-purposing them, it brings down the impact that we have on our environment.

And creating a collaborative piece as a group is a good exercise in working with others for creative solutions. Every student was able to choose what they wanted to contribute: spray painting, traditional painting, cutting, tying, or embellishing with detailed found objects.

While at first the students were hesitant to dive in, by the end everyone was really involved in the process.

Students say that with limited arts education in school, experiences like this not only expose them to the arts, but help them connect with students from other schools with the same interests.

“Students are able to learn about careers in the arts, participate in engaging activities lead by accomplished artists, and further develop basic employability skills such as respect for others and a sense of cooperation, Ashley Catrett, Crenshaw County Schools Grant Manager, said. “These unique experiences would not be possible without grant funding.”

Grants were provided by Alabama State Department of Education and College and Career Readiness Grant.