Culture
Art Project Connects Coolville Students To Community
By: Sarah Hawley | Athens Messenger staff reporter
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To some it may be just another painting of a house, but for students at Coolville Elementary the “Houses of Coolville” project is about much more than just painting a house.
Art teacher Sharon Phillips came up with the idea to have her second and third grade art students paint their version of homes within the village. The idea originated after Phillips learned from the Coolville Library that there was a group researching the historic houses.
“The kids learned about Coolville and the painting of historical homes,” said Phillips.
The paintings will be on display Friday evening at the “Houses of Coolville” art exhibit.
“Ms. Phillips took pictures of the houses and we got to pick from that,” said Alexia Hunter of how she selected a house for the project.
Some of the students were even able to choose their own homes or the house of a friend or relative who lives in the village.
“It’s easier when you look at a reference when you are doing it,” said Zack Baker.
For Alexus Bolin, drawing the house was her favorite part of the project, while David Bowen preferred the painting. Darius Pierce said that both the drawing and painting were his favorite parts.
The details of the houses were the most difficult part of the project for many students. For Madison Johnson it was the roof, for Erin McManaway it was making the bricks and for Alissa Gregory it was the designs on the porch that proved to be the most challenging.
The students learned about more than art techniques, also learning about what made Coolville an important historic village.
“We talked about community,” said Phillips. “This is an extension of the community unit taught in the classrooms.
There were a lot of different houses in Coolville, said Ava Withem of what she learned through the project. Other students said it was the art techniques that they learned including how to draw a house, explained Mason Hamrick, and how to make a background, said Katelynn Smith.
One of the historic aspects the students learned about Coolville was the importance of the water with the village located on the Hocking River.
The artwork will be on display Friday from 6-7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Coolville United Methodist Church across from the school. The paintings will be sold for $10 each and a quilt of the artwork will be auctioned off. Proceeds from the event will go toward next year’s Christmas shoebox fund sponsored by the Samaritan’s Purse Organization.