Scott Needs, Meigs High School art teacher, left, and David Gustafson of A.L.P.A.C.A.watch as Brittany Cremeans uses the new printing press to transfer a picture from a designed plate to paper.
More than $500 worth of art supplies were paid for by A.L.P.A.C.A. for the Meigs Middle School art program taught by Melanie Quillen, pictured here with David Gustafson, A.L.P.A.C.A. president.
POMEROY — The art departments at Meigs High and Meigs Middle Schools have became a little better equipped to teach art to the hundreds of students enrolled, thanks to the Athens Local Professional Artist and Craftsman Association (A.L.P.A.C.A.).
For Meigs High, a printing press was provided by A.L.P.A.C.A. for use by the art students of Scott Needs, while at the middle school a variety of supplies ranging from poster board to paints was provided for Melanie Quillen’s 436 students who have a class in art. The total cost of the printer and the art supplies provided by A.L.P.A.C.A. was about $1,000.
Dave Gustafson, president of A.L.P.A.C.A. , a non-profit organization, which promotes art education for the public and in the schools, visited the Meigs schools Wednesday. He said that this year four $500 grants were awarded, the two in Meigs County and one each at Nelsonville and Federal Hocking.
Gustafson said that the organization, a group of 62 juried artists. as both artists and parents are concerned about the “deteriorating time devoted to, choices available, and funding support in art instruction available to students in public schools.”
To help remedy the problem, every year A.L.P.A.C.A. puts out grant applications to over 60 public school art and industrial arts teachers in the area and then selections are made from those who apply on the basis of need.
During Gustafson’s visit Needs’ art students demonstrated the technique they had been using to transfer designs from an ink-covered plate to paper by rubbing with a wooden spoon, a very time consuming process. and then the process using the new printing press which requires less than a minute.
At the Middle School, Quillen displayed a portion of the supplies she received to use in class projects. Included were 300 sheets of poster board, two gallons of glue, 60 sets of watercolors and two cases of colored pencils to augment the $250 that is provided every year for supplies and equipment by the school district.
Post a Comment
