North Woods Discovery School was the epicenter of the North State arts scene on Friday when the school hosted its third annual Art Night. Hundreds of students, teachers, siblings and parents stormed the school’s gymnasium for an evening of creativity.
Art Night is a reflection of North Woods’ commitment to the arts as an important component of their students’ development. At North Woods, kindergarten through Grade 5 teachers incorporate visual arts into all curriculum areas and middle school students have a credentialed teacher providing them with intensive, standards-based instruction in visual arts.
HawkMan Studios brought its “Arty Party” creation stations to Art Night, but “Junk Art” was clearly the most popular project. Students assembled found-object sculptures from boxes, fabric, egg cartons, paper towel tubes, water bottles and miles of tape. In addition to found-object art, students could create tinfoil sculptures, tie-dye coffee filters, collages, drawing and painting, and blow paint art with glass artist Mark Vargas.
KIXE displayed the winners of the “Be Big with KIXE and Clifford” poster contest to congratulate North Woods kindergartner Carmen Ott, who took the contest’s “Top Dog” Award. Carmen will be featured, with other contest winners, in television spots for KIXE.
Visitors to Art Night were also welcomed to the school’s art-room-turned-gallery, featuring work by North Woods students, including lessons in mosaics, Cubism and the neo-plasticism style of Piet Mondrian. It was a good night for art.
To learn more about North Woods Discovery School, visit nwds.org.
Adam Mankoski is a recent North State transplant who feels completely at home here. He enjoys experiencing and writing about the people, places and things that embody the free spirit of the State of Jefferson. He and his partner own HawkMan Studios and are the creators of Redding’s 2nd Saturday ArtHop. Email your Norths State events to adamm.anewscafe@gmail.com.
