ArtFest Fort Myers supports art programs in schools

COURTESY PHOTO Edgewood Academy Students with Space Mural Each year, ArtFest Fort Myers makes art supply grant money available to elementary school art teachers who are in need of additional art supplies. In the past four years, over $12,000 in grant money has impacted approximately 27,000 elementary school students.

It is a well-documented fact that children learn and develop necessary life skills through art. Exploring and creating with art materials gives youngsters a positive sense of accomplishment and numerous benefits result.

And, it's working.

A recipient of a 2007 Art Supply Grant Award, Miriam Carballo, the art teacher at Edgewood Academy, recently unveiled the project that her students created with supplies from this years ArtFest Fort Myers grant. The mural of the solar system began as an art project, but quickly developed into a lesson in astronomy, problem solving and working together.

In spite of the constraints of only teaching these students for 30 minutes once every ten days, Carballo began this project by helping her students to understand the enormity of their subject matter. They learned about comets, asteroids, the relationship of the planets to the sun, and even a little about our space program. They were then challenged to artistically create a realistic painting of the solar system (without "men from Mars").

The students' individual images were cut out and traced into the final mural design. The 4 foot by 4 foot design was cut into 6 inch squares (the same size as an individual tile). Each student was then assigned an unglazed tile with their portion of the "puzzle" to trace and paint. After glazing and firing, each tile was laid in its proper place to once again reveal the original design.

ArtFest Fort Myers was lucky to be chosen as the recipient of this wonderful art piece.

If you are interested in supporting art programs at the elementary school level, please contact us at info@ArtFestFortMyers. com. All donations will go into the Art Supply Grant Program. Upcoming Art Supply Grants will be awarded in August 2008 for the 2008-09 school year.

ArtFest Fort Myers is the annual juried fine art festival that takes place on Edwards Drive on February 7 and 8. This event brings 200 professional artists to downtown Fort Myers from across the county, hosts the largest high school art competition and exhibit in Lee County, and provides free interactive art experiences for children of all ages.