September 24, 2010
Washington Catholic Schools win grants for arts enrichment programs
Students at the three Washington Catholic schools are learning about art in innovative ways, thanks to three newly-awarded grants, according to Peggy Taylor, art teacher. Mo-ney from the grants will be used “to further arts and interdisciplinary programs in both the elementary and the middle school/high school buildings. The grants are sponsored by the Indiana Humanities Council and the Indiana Arts Commission.”
• The Food for Thought program, from the Indiana Humanities Council, awarded Washington Catholic schools $1,535 for a project designed to help students learn about pioneer era foods in Indiana.
• The second grant is for $2,000; it is from Indiana Hu-manities and co-sponsored by Indiana Landmarks. Its goal is to “broaden awareness among the high school art students, parents and community about the architectural treasures that line the streets of Washington, and to foster interest in preserving these homes and buildings for future generations.”
Students will design and produce a walking tour brochure highlighting historic homes within a 12-block area of the downtown residential area. The brochure will be distributed online through IHC and Indiana Landmarks’ websites, and locally at the Daviess County Museum and the Chamber of Commerce office.
• The Indiana Arts Commission has awarded Washington Catholic an Arts-in-Education grant in the amount of $4,990. This grant will enable the schools to bring in a guest artist to demonstrate and teach textile design. This year’s featured artist is Phil Beaver of French Lick, whose appliquéd fabric quilt paintings have won regional and national awards.
The goal is to enhance students’ understanding of how artists and writers record their thoughts, whether through words or visual images, while creating textile banners that will become a permanent part of the school setting.