Students Create Chairs Too Pretty to Sit On

You may have noticed the colorful Adirondack chairs recently displayed at the . Five high school students who created the artwork and several members of the community gathered at the Civic Center on Tuesday, April 5.

Adirondack Chair Coordinator Jean Smith said the Gig Harbor Garden Tour used commercial artists to design and decorate the chairs for the past six years, but this year, for the first time, the organization branched out to high school students. 

She said, after reaching out to the schools, the Garden Tour board members selected the six students back in November and provided the chairs and paint. 

"We wanted to let them think outside the box," said Smith.

The students took inspirations from nature and animals, while one artist dipped into the imagination of Dr. Seuss. 

Since they only had about three months to complete the project, the art teachers from the two high schools, Nicole Newton at and Karen Peck at , helped their students make sure they weren't falling behind on their deadlines.

Newton said the students compared photos and exchanged ideas throughout the process. She said it gave her students a unique opportunity to pain on three-dimensional objects.

Smith said she hopes to expand the opportunities to students in middle and elementary school.

You can view the chairs at the Civic Center until June 24, when they will be auctioned off or raffled at this year's Gig Harbor Garden Tour's Garden Party & Auction. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Adult Basic Education Program at . The festivities will take place at the .