RECORD STAFF

Even though there is no elementary school art specialist funded by the South Whidbey School District again this year, the students produced plenty of art and they’re ready to show it off at the third annual Festival of the Arts Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, at South Whidbey High School.

The festival is sponsored by the South Whidbey Elementary PTA Volunteer Art Docent program, Whidbey Island Arts Council and the school district.

This festival is a celebration of student arts. It also provides awareness of the community resources and organizations which support arts programming in the schools and offers arts experiences for children. The funds received go toward more arts programming in the schools so every child may have these learning opportunities even as public school funding dwindles.

Festival hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It is student-centered and student driven in many aspects, particularly in the performances this year: Sophia Duccini, a high school student, worked with Don and Betsy Gmerek to arrange a line-up that was a mix of independent student ensembles and soloists as well as those students who are led by school arts programs, teaching artists, and arts organizations like Island Strings, Island Dance, high school choral and high school and middle school jazz ensembles.

Festival-goers will find in the Old Commons the exhibition of visual artwork by each K-5 student. These art projects were led by volunteer art docents through the school year at the elementary school. The docents will also have on exhibit some student art projects that have been led by general teachers.

Whidbey Island Arts Council funded artists-in-residence and their exhibits. The five artists in this year were coordinated through Betsy Gmerek and included:

Debra Davies’ first grade with Betsy Gmerek, visual teaching artist, “Drawing from Nature, through the Seasons.” 

Leslie Woods’ second-grade class with Jill Johnson, storyteller, “A Reader’s Theatre – comparing and contrasting urban and rural communities through reading about postal service.”

Kathey Stanley’s grades 3-4 class with Jill Johnson, storyteller, “Understanding Washington’s first peoples, through talking circles, native games, and rituals.”

Caryn Ploof and Lauren Atkinson, multi-media teaching fifth graders, “Collaborative design and fabrication of the seven (Stephen Covey) Habit Flags,” which is South Whidbey Elementary’s school-wide leadership curriculum.

Kimmer Morris and Dana Moffett-Giant taught students marimbas and African Rhythm ensembles.

Other festival sponsors include Artists of South Whidbey, the sponsors for Artist-in-Residence program in 2012-2014; Whidbey Island Center for the Arts; Whidbey Island Community Education Center/and Cary Jurrianns Studio; and Carol Way. They will have booths in the Old Commons.

Fifth-grade students will hold their annual “pay it forward” bake sale to raise money for next year’s fifth-grade arts field trip. Caplets, lattes and Americanos will be served by Topolino Espresso. All espresso drink proceeds go to the SWE PTA Volunteer Art Docent Program.

An arena of hands-on arts and crafts fun for family, origami lanterns, community collaborative weaving, hair ties, face painting and more will be offered at the festival.

Teaching artist demonstrations in Old Commons Friday will be presented by Carla Dawn Walsh, painting; Yvonne Palka, sumi-e; and Mary McLeod, calligraphy.

The New Commons and high school art studio space will feature art exhibits by the middle school students, Jess Foley, art teacher; art exhibits by the students of South Whidbey Academy (K-12), arranged by Sue Wolf; and art exhibits by South Whidbey High School students.

The barbecue food concessions in the courtyard are sponsored by the Rotary Club of Whidbey Westside. The food stand will offer burgers and cheese burgers, hot dogs, chips, cookies, soda and water. Proceeds go to the Arts in Education program for the elementary, middle and high school that fund artists in the classroom.

Volunteers for the festival are high school and middle school students as well as community and parent volunteers.