More than 600 art works created by TaShayla Jones, in pink, and her schoolmates at Midway Elementary School will be on display and for sale on Feb. 12 at the Decatur school.
The exhibit will take place 5 to 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria, and family, friends and supporters will be able to buy their favorite pieces and help raise funds for the school’s visual arts program.
The pieces range from landscapes to beach scenes, portraits and flowers.
Eleven-year-old TaShayla Jones can’t wait to show off her celestial self-portrait atop a cloud.
“I like art because you can do whatever you want to do and be creative,” she said.
TaShayla has invited her entire family to come to the show. She said she wanted to participate in the showcase to “see my pictures on the wall.”
Her fifth-grade classmate Wayland Lindsay did an avant-garde interpretation of a roller coaster, one of his favorite theme park rides.
To add depth to his painting, Wayland put in hidden symbols, including a “secret sun” and a ghost disguised as a cloud.
“Art is my favorite class because I like to draw,” he said.
Joel Gargano, their art teacher, said the best part of his job is seeing his students’ visions come to life.
“My kids are so smart,” he said. “Sometimes they come to me with an idea, and I’m like, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ ”
Gargano, the school’s first full-time certified art teacher in more than 20 years, teaches 200 students daily. “Mr. G,” who just began a fairy tale-themed unit teaching architecture through the use of lines and shapes to draw castles, has taught at Midway since 2009.
He said a foundation in the arts is vital because the jobs of the future will require workers to follow directions, make critiques, be analytical and build something new that works.
“That’s what art is,” Gargano said. When he heard about Alpharetta-based Artome, a company that hosts art shows exhibiting the artwork of elementary schools, he jumped at the chance. Artome is sponsoring the showcase along with the school’s PTA and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center.
Gargano said he hopes the Midway Art Showcase demonstrates the importance of art education and provides a cultural experience for his students and their families.
The free show also will feature poetry readings, performances by the school’s choir, refreshments and prizes. The framed artworks will be $25 each.
Midway Elementary is at 3318 Midway Road. For more information, e-mail Ty Davis at tydawn_2000@yahoo.com.
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