DeWitt, Ovid-Elsie
Late last spring students from Bath, DeWitt, Fowler and Ovid/Elsie middle schools began working on original banners depicting their “Superhero(s)” for entry into Clinton County Arts Council’s Middle School Art Challenge.
The winners were announced recently during a special awards program held at the Regional Educational Services Agency (RESA). Deborah Laverty, coordinator of the program announced the winners and made presentations of the awards.
Winners were:
– People’s Choice Award ($300) to DeWitt Junior High School
– 1st Place ($300) to DeWitt Junior High School
– 2nd Place ($200) to Ovid-Elsie Middle School
– 3rd Place ($175) to Waldron Middle School, Fowler
– 4th Place (125) to Bath Middle School.
Art Teacher Erin Bader, right, reviews the certificate awarded to DeWitt Junior High School for placing first in the Art Challenge competition. Deborah Laverty, coordinator of the summer-long program presented the honor.
DeWitt’s winning banner reflects members of Team DeWitt, which includes Volunteers (Joe and Linda Dahl); Athletics (Jordyn Wieber – Olympics Gold Medalist); DeWitt Community schools; Service Organizations (Undersheriff Larry Jerue, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office; DeWitt Area Emergency Service Authority and DeWitt Township Fire Department.)
Art student John Chenko represents Ovid-Elsie Middle school in accepting Art Challenge second place, as art teacher Laura Weber looks on.
Ovid-Elsie’s entry depicts a Marauder super hero (representing a variation of the school’s mascot), flying over a skyline of Ovid and Elsie. The students chose to include recognizable landmarks from both towns and used primarily blue and gold, the school’s colors.
Students from Fowler’s Waldron School, under direction of art teacher Deanna Stark, used their banner to recognize ordinary people; super heroes joining forces in commonality for a better life.
Remembering the Bath School bombing, Bath Middle School students created a banner commemorating those who were lost along with thanks for the survivors. A note of gratefulness is reflected to the first responders on that fateful day. A flying “Superhero” shown on the banner represents all the families, teachers and community members that were also there. The effort was lead by art teacher Miranda Kibby.
Clinton County Arts Council sponsored the Middle School Art Challenge, open to all middle schools in the county. Schools participating in the 2013 challenge included those from Bath, DeWitt, Fowler and Ovid-Elsie. Each school created a banner depicting their “Superhero(s)” which were then displayed at several County festivals.
At the festivals the public was invited to vote for their favorite. DeWitt Junior High School received the most votes, received the People’s Choice Award. Other awards (lst – 4th places) were given based on the judgment of an artist and teacher for the banners’ design and materials. Altogether, the awards totaled $1,100 which is going to the schools’ art programs.
Funding for the Art challenge was made possible from a grant through the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, a portion of whose funding is from the Natiional Endowment for the Arts, as well as support from local businesses, organizations and Arts Council members.
The Clinton County Arts Council, based in St. Johns, has supported the arts in mid-Michigan since 1981. The Council maintains an art gallery; a railroad museum, complete with actual antique railroad cars; a theater production company; Concerts in the Park during the summer and a community choral group.
For additional information, contact Deborah Laverty via phone at (517) 775-0168 or by email at lavertydeb@yahoo.com.