Last week the hallways of Meridian Elementary were transformed from a traditional school setting into a museum of modern art, filled with more than 3,000 pieces of art from students at every level at the school.
“Everything from Jackson Pollack to (Edgar) Degas!” said event co-chair Jill Erickson.
“One whole hallway will be (Henri de) Toulouse-Lautrec,” added fellow co-chair Tonya Schneider.
This is the seventh year for the Meridian Artwalk, which features work from the school’s students based on the creations of master artists. The show is put together through the building’s art-docent program, in which trained volunteers visit the school once a month to discuss an artist and his or her work.
This year’s program focused on modern art, Schneider said, adding that in the past the program has focused on old European masters. During that chapter, kids began to ask if any artists were still alive or if there were any female artists, which lead organizers to modernize this year’s curriculum.
“It just sprang from the kind of art we wanted to do,” Schneider said.
The art will be organized by the master artist it emulates and Erickson said the show features a “(Dale) Chihuly-inspired chandelier.”
This year’s artwalk also featured the school’s choir as well root-beer floats.
More than 600 people attended the school’s Artwalk last year. The event is free and open to the public. The art will remain on display through the end of the school year.
“We’re very proud of it,” Erickson said. “It brings out the community.”
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