“Hi. I’m William, and I’ll be your tour guide today.”
With that friendly and confident greeting, fourth-grader William Carron led students, parents, and other guests through an amazing array of art that was on display in the Cottonwood Creek Elementary School Library. The display was part of the school’s annual Community Art Night, held on March 5. The first stop on Carron’s tour was a large-scale piece of art titled “What Lifts You.”
“This is interactive art, so you can stand right here and get butterfly wings,” Carron explained. “It was drawn by hand, so one wing doesn’t perfectly match the other wing.”
That piece, along with other drawings, paintings, sculptures, and collages made by professional artists, is part of the CherryArts Mobile Art Gallery, which visits schools, libraries, and community centers across the metro area. CherryArts is an art-focused non-profit organization that believes art is essential and access to art is for everyone. It supports artists and art education through interactive programs like the Mobile Art Gallery, and the internationally known Cherry Creek Arts Festival.
Cottonwood Creek art teacher Dawn Thompson, who organizes the yearly Community Art Night, said students like Carron, who are part of the school’s leadership group, were trained to be docents who guided guests through the exhibit. Carron said there was a lot to learn and remember, but he enjoyed hearing what people thought about the different pieces of art.
“I think that’s pretty cool, because everyone has different perspectives on art,” Carron said.
Cottonwood’s Community Art Night also featured artwork made by students. (See more of the artwork in our Instagram Reel.)
“Our theme this year is ‘Future vs. Frozen,’ and our kids have made things from robots to snowmen to different ceramic pieces,” Thompson explained.
As visitors admired the student artwork that lined the school hallways, members of the Cottonwood Creek Robotics Club did demonstrations with different kinds of robots they created and controlled. It was a perfect example of art, science, and community coming together for an evening that was enjoyable and educational for everyone!
Posted 3/25/2024.
