Jeffco K-12 student art on spotlight

Sammy McConnell has always loved candles. So, candles, and his brother, were the inspiration for his photograph.And, surprisingly, the senior at Golden High School said, his brother was a good model.”They came out really good,” McConnell said, “which makes me proud to be able to take a picture of that quality.”McConnell’s photograph, titled “Happy Birthday,” is one of more than 40 pieces of art on display for the Foot X Foot exhibit currently at the Foothills Art Center. All of the artwork is submissions from Jefferson County’s K-12 students.The exhibit represents some of the best work of Jefferson County students, said Eriq Hochuli, education coordinator at the art center. And all the people who come to see the exhibit show support for the local student artists, he added.Students are “beyond excited” to have their artwork displayed at a professional gallery said Colton Urland, a senior art student at Ralston Valley High School..”I love having the chance for people to see my work, and all the different ways others interpret it,” Urland said.Creating his submitted piece, a charcoal work titled “Only I can Tell,” brought out a skill level he thought he never would be able to accomplish, Urland said.Jefferson County schools have a strong visual arts curriculum, said Shannon May, visual arts coordinator for Jeffco schools.Having students art displayed in a gallery “gives them a glimpse into the professional world,” she said. “There’s something special about the gallery.”All of the student artwork comes from classwork based on the Colorado visual arts academic standards, said Elizabeth Buhr, visual arts educator at Normandy Elementary who helped coordinate the exhibit.Being able to see work from students of all ages — elementary, middle and high schools — together is “really exciting because it’s really rich” in talent, Buhr said.Teachers agree that it’s important for the community to see the talent of Jeffco students. “The arts are vital,” Buhr said. The exhibit lets the public “see how the students are learning, and exploring their skills and concepts.”But it’s not only the community that benefits. The art students do, also. The exhibit gives elementary students the opportunity to see where their art can go, and middle schoolers can look forward to high school arts programs, May said. Then, in high school, it shifts a little. High school students are beginning to look into art schools to earn a college degree, or careers in the arts, May said.And the teachers are proud of students’ work.”As an art teacher, I am most proud of my students when they find within themselves a talent they never realized before,” said Bonny Colagrosso, chair of the visual arts department at Ralston Valley High School. “I literally have the best job in the world witnessing the excitement when a student is able to express an idea, while others marvel at their ability.”Art is a great creative outlet, said Liz Squire, a tenth-grader at Golden High School.”It’s good for students to let loose, and not have to worry about things, and just compose a piece of art,” she said.Alisia Jasmine Garcia, a senior at Chatfield high school, said attending her advanced placement 3D sculpting class gives her the confidence boost she needs to get through tougher classes, such as physics or math, because she knows art is something she’s good at. Students who struggle in other subjects can express feelings and communicate thoughts through their art, without restriction, she said.The “visual arts open the minds of students and their imaginations,” Garcia said. “They learn to think on a deeper level (which) opens doors and creates opportunities that could not have been imagined without exposure to the visual arts.”