'This is a Celebration of Our Art Students'

More than 600 pieces of artwork decorated the halls and cafeteria of Chalk Hill School on Friday for their third annual art show. The artwork was created over the course of the year by sixth grade students during class with art teacher Alice Pulliam.

“This is a celebration of our art students,” Pulliam said, “Every one of my students has at least one piece displayed in this show. Some students have more. I told them to pick their best work and if they had two that they couldn’t decide between, then just use them both.”

Becca Feher, 12, looks proudly at her artwork. “It’s a one point perspective. I think I did good,” she acknowledged. “It looks so hard but once Mrs. Pulliam shows us how to do it. You realize it’s not that hard.”

Feher added, “I’m going to miss Mrs. Pulliam as a teacher. She’s different in a good way. She goes step by step with instruction. She’ll help you. She’s really nice.”

“In sixth grade, the students really turn it up a notch,” Pulliam explained, “It’s not really instructional. We take it to a new level.”

For example, students work in a new medium called batiking with fabric. “We use Elmer’s glue and let it dry and paint it out and you end up with these beautiful leaves,” Pulliam explains, “It’s their first time working with fabric.” 

Students also displayed water color paintings.

“They’ve learned how to mix colors so now we introduce different techniques like using salt. You get this great effect when it mixes with the paint,” Pulliam said.

Jared Hirsh, 11, also submitted a one point perspective painting for the art show. “It’s hard. You have to draw it from a bird’s eye perspective. It took me about three days,” Hirsh said. “I’m a really good drawer. I have lots of sketch books. [Art] is one of my favorites.”

Pulliam has been teaching art for six years at Chalk Hill and a total of 17 years in Monroe. This year, she split her time between Chalk Hill and Monroe Elementary School, teaching at both.

“My main goal is to make sure that these kids feel good about themselves," she said. "If you make them believe that they can do it, it’s amazing what they can do. It’s wonderful for their self-esteem."

Students also held a drawing for two hand-painted bird houses. Raffle tickets were sold for $1 each for the bird houses painted by Pulliam and sixth grade student Lilly Purulli. Proceeds from the raffle went to Hoops for Heart and Relay for Life.

“It’s beyond sad that this is our last year,” Pulliam said, “I could cry thinking about it.”

Chalk Hill School will be closing next year with the implementation of the STEM Academy at Masuk High School. Students in sixth - eighth grades will be divided between the Masuk campus and Jockey Hollow Middle School.