Home -- Read a different Newsletter -- Get our Newsletters by e-mail 2003 Newsletter “A long time ago, in a far away land, on a dark and stormy night, a new idea was conceived. With the coming of the dawn, a bright new day revealed said concept. Behold...what was brought forth upon that morn has now become that which we know, see, and perceive to be The ArtSplot...and it has blossomed...and this is good.” We are anticipating a great 2003. First let’s look at what The Fall brought us. The ArtSplot’s After-School Individualized Art Lessons started up the second week of September with a dozen students ranging in ages six to seventeen participating on a regular weekly basis in drawing, painting, printmaking, and pottery. We appreciate those parents who know and understand what this is doing for their children. We teach art every Thursday at Whittier Elementary School for the fifth year running now. We are again at Irving Elementary School each Tuesday teaching art with an international/multicultural emphasis. Thank you to The Bozeman School District, the parent organizations’ fundraising efforts, and Wells Fargo Bank (Irving) for supporting these programs. The Carden School receives art enrichment with us every Wednesday again this year as well. We see the development. During September and October Monforton School grades K - 8 participated in an Artist-In-Residency program that involved pencil, charcoal, and pastel drawings and collages designed specifically to accommodate the variety of ages involved. The autumn season, mountain views, and mature trees surrounding the school contributed to our subject matter of ‘Leaves in the Wind.’ Following the drawing activities, each student created a dimensional and sculptural ceramic tile that was glazed and fired. These were then contributed to a school mural to be hung at the main entrance. The mural reflects the same ‘Leaves in the Wind’ idea. This is our third major beautification project at this school. We appreciate The Montana Arts Council for helping fund each one of these residencies. The PIR No School Days in October and November were fully attended, as were Early Release Day and Holiday Break Art Enrichment Programs. Young artists created a variety of artworks including colorful oil pastel/watercolor paintings of abstracted elephants in a circus and three dimensional clay dragon sculptures. Thanks to MacKenzie River Pizza on Main Street, and their interest in supporting the arts, we have been able to honor several groups of students with their own art shows. Whittier School displayed pastel drawings of sunflowers. The Carden School took a field trip to The ArtSplot studio to use the printmaking press, then proudly displayed their monotypes of Fauvist style trees. The PEAKS after-school program did pastel perspectives of skyscrapers along with abstracted structures. And most recently, kindergartners of Longfellow School displayed their Impressionistic Landscapes...vivdly colorful, significant works of art...all done with The ArtSplot. We displayed a variety of artwork from our ArtSplot Summer Art Enrichment Programs and Art/Wilderness Programs for Youths in The Emerson’s West Hall during the month of December. These included drawings and paintings done on location from a variety of places including Grotto Falls, Spanish Creek, sights of particular beauty along The Sun River in The Bob Marshall Wilderness, to still-life sets in the studio and ‘The Pink House’ on Willson Avenue. This display took place the same month ‘The Sixth Annual ArtSplot Student Art Show and Bash’ did. A party in honor of artwork and the creation thereof, this annual ‘Opening’ gives youngsters the recognition they earn through their interests and efforts. Classical guitarist Mark Logan performed with appearances by Douglas Smith. Longfellow Elementary School has a strong art curriculum. We did an Artist-in-Residency with this school during the months of December and January. The upper 4th and 5th graders were a focus group doing printmaking projects culminating with a field trip to The ArtSplot studio to use the press. Younger grades did a variety of projects ranging from character studies, to the previously mentioned Impressionistic Landscape projects, to oil pastel drawings of their own school building. Students in 2nd grade participated in a balsa wood printmaking project of very high appeal. It is ‘The New Year’. We continue with Whittier, Irving, and The Carden School. We complete Longfellow. Our After-School Individualized Art Lessons are, as usual this time of year, up to two dozen students per week doing artwork focusing on their own interests and artistic goals. All Morning Star 1st graders will be doing printmaking with us the first few weeks of February. We will explore a variety of subject matters including under water scenes, neighborhoods, plants, and facial expressions. Students will first draw out their design. Then they will carve it into strips of soft balsa wood, ink it with a brayer, and print...a great process for these younsters, with great finished pieces too. The Morning Star Parent Group supports this program through their fundraising. East Side School in Livingston will have us the first part of April creating a mural for a beautification project. The subject is ‘A Flow Through Your Day’. Looking for a ‘scene’ that requires contemplation and instigates thought we decided upon an unconventional subject matter for this mural and were met with a very receptive administration and staff. Abstract approaches to desks, chairs, windows, playground equipment, and musical instruments...to name a few...will be what it’s all about. Sweet. Thanks Montana Arts Council and Parent Group. Our first, and their’s ever, residency with Valley View School in Great Falls is for just a couple of days the end of April. This is a great start for them, is it not? Anderson School does printmaking with The ArtSplot the first half of May. We had full ‘Days For Art’ programs over Spring Break offering once again drawing, painting, pottery, and printmaking to students ages six and up. Our summer schedule is set up and we look forward to our sixth year of summer art enrichment programs in the studio and on location ‘In the Field’. In addition to our regular weekly Monday through Thursday 9:00-3:00 programs we will run two ‘Natural Footsteps’ Art/Wilderness Programs for 12 to 14 year olds into the backcountry of The Spanish Peaks and one ‘Canvass Montana’ Bob Marshall Wilderness Program for high school youth, and a trip to Seattle...into The City. Outreach will be to Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park once again, and Big Sky. More art, for more people, more often, Sincerely, Chelsea Smith and Sean Faris