The art elective gives students a creative outlet

After years of making requests, students receive an art elective class.

Beginning for the 2018-19 school year, Mrs. Katie Cunningham has been busy teaching a new elective: art!  The art class is held in Room 37, replacing MacArthur’s choir program.

“This will be a new elective, but we had art many, many years ago,” Cunningham said.  Art was added to the schedule because there were many student requests for the new elective.

In the class, Cunningham and her students regularly use their sketchbooks.  Some students have their own sketchbooks where they can draft and attempt new skills.  Besides sketching, they also use paint, grade pencils, pens, ink, and clay to complete their projects.   

Many students joined art because they had a natural aptitude; others wanted to try art for fun.  Seventh-grader Tracy Juarez said, “I choose art for my elective because ever since I was little I enjoyed art and loved creating.”

Cunningham said, “Some students join because they either want to practice their art skills.  These students, who want to practice their art skills, they sometimes get frustrated because their drawings don’t come out how they wanted to be.”

The art students have already completed four major projects.  Up next will be observational drawings from life.

“It makes me happy when students finally discover their creative features in them.  I want the students to express themselves in art,” said Cunningham.

Cunningham wants her students to know the basics of art, fundamentals of drawings and designs. She wants her students to create drawings and projects that haven’t been created yet.

Seventh-grader Olivia Barajas said, “I love and enjoy art because you can create stuff, and I really enjoy creating things.”

Before the art class became an elective, Cunningham used to be a sixth-grade language arts teacher.  “I really enjoyed being a language arts teacher, but I prefer being an art teacher.”

Cunningham also advises an art club, which meets at lunchtime once a week.  At lunch, students come to finish their projects or they help Cunningham prepare and display completed art projects.