Column: Art Is, by Bev Jackson Cotter

She sat on the floor in the front of the little school room. Then she proceeded to tell us what the world would look like from the perspective of a blade of grass. I was amazed at her interpretation of the creative writing assignment: “Share a story about a color.” She talked about the bugs, worms, dead grass, trampled bent grass and clovers and dandelions, other weeds and everything that she observed, and her details were delightful. Other students shared memories of favorite foods or favorite bikes or favorite clothes, but no one else had shown the imagination that she found. I’ve heard lots of creative stories in the years that I have been teaching classes, but never before or since has anyone approached a color theme like she did.

I’m reminded of her story every time I attend the annual Student Art Show at the Albert Lea Art Center. Even though many of the students are given the same assignments, the results are different. For some the assignment is easy and for others it is difficult, but in each piece the individual creativity and personality comes through. I believe that is what makes art such an important part of a child’s education.

In almost all other classes, children are taught to follow the rules, to stay within the lines and to remember that this equals that. You are either right or you are wrong. Not so in art.

Jim Wegner of Austin, an instructor I had many years ago when Riverland Community College was called Austin Community College, said, “A laborer works with his hands, a craftsman with his hands and his head and an artist works with his hands, his head and his heart.”

Recently Jim was featured on Off-90 and when his interviewer asked about his enthusiasm and the number of years he had been painting, his response was still the same.

“Art comes from the heart.”

I know that there are special techniques and special tools that we can all learn that will help our skills to develop, and practice — regular practice — makes a world of difference in our products, but I know that “heart” plays a significant role.

Where else would that green grass story come from?

Later on that day, when that young girl and I were sitting on the school steps waiting for her ride home, she told me that she was dreading the start of school in a few weeks. She didn’t like school. And my thoughts were — what is happening in your life to make you feel that way? What is happening at home or at school to stifle your incredible interest in detail and creativity? With your attitude, what is in your future? I will never know what happened to her.

Back to kids and creativity — years ago I was a college student observing an art teacher in an elementary classroom. He had started a project with the second-graders and it wasn’t going well. He had wanted the students to work on a large drawing and to get them started, they were to connect two pieces of paper together with masking tape. Well, when you give a second-grader a 15-inch piece of tape and two pieces of paper, you get anything but a nice, neat, large format. Mostly, the tape stuck in the wrong places and they had wrinkled paper and tangled tape and while the teacher tried patiently to help each student out, the result was almost no time for the drawing assignment.

What was learned? I learned that as a prospective teacher all lessons will not be successful and it’s not the end of the world. The art teacher learned never to try that again. And the kids learned how much fun a wadded up piece of tape can be when it becomes tangled with two big sheets of paper. It’s too bad they couldn’t have turned their tape and paper into an abstract sculpture. Aahaa! Success!

Student art work is fun. Whether it is from the hearts of kindergartners or high school students, it is enjoyable to observe. Stop soon at the Art Center for an entertaining and educational show and find out how talented and creative our young people are.

 

Bev Jackson Cotter is a member of the Albert Lea Art Center where the Elementary and Secondary Student Art Show will be on display beginning today through April 5. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.