Posted: Apr 11, 2022 7:30 AM
The seventh K-12 Art Exhibit is on view at the Newtown Municipal Center Art Gallery and Artisans Showcase through April 18.
The public is invited to view the art weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. The civic center at 3 Primrose Street is also open late on days when there are meetings.
The K-12 show features over 250 works of art ranging from pencil sketches to ceramic bobblehead dolls from all seven schools in the Newtown School District. The fair has taken place every year since 2017, except during the height of the pandemic when the gallery was closed.
From kindergarten to college, art students learn the elements and principles of design. At the secondary level, they begin to specialize in ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, painting, drawing, portfolio art, and AP art history. Students also have the option of taking a very popular humanities course that combines English and art.
Michelle Hiscavich, chair of the district’s music and arts department, noted that visual art “is an essential part of a child’s overall education.
“90% of the information we receive is visual in today’s world. There is a growing body of research in the fields of neuroscience and education that indicates that a good visual arts curriculum helps students develop cognitive skills that can be transferred to other subjects,” he said. -she adds.
“This show is designed as an introduction to our program,” Ms. Hiscavich said. “We are so proud of the nine art teachers who work with our students.”
Many of these teachers were at the civic center on April 1, when the collection was presented.
The exhibition is organized by the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission.
Newtown High School art teacher Carol Skolas adjusts a picture April 1 as she and other district teachers were at the Newtown Civic Center to hang the K-12 art exhibit. —Photo Laura Lerman
The bobble heads and other delicate pieces of students from the Newtown Public Schools District are protected in The Artisans Showcase. —Photo Laura Lerman
The exhibition features more than 250 original works of art. —Photo Laura Lerman