Ask any first, second or third grader at St. John’s what the favorite day of the school week is and chances are you‘ll get a resounding “TUESDAY!” What is it about Tuesdays at St. John’s that make these children so excited? Well, Tuesday is art day at SJE. It’s the day when our two faithful volunteer art teachers, Beth Dahut and Marilyn Whitney, lead our students into the wonderful world of paint, oil pastels, charcoal, collage, paper mache and clay. For the past five years, our first through third grade students have been blessed with the time and talents of these two dedicated volunteers who guide our students on their own creative journeys into the world of art. Our children are richer for the experience.

How did it all begin?

When Colette Whitney and Anthony Dahut entered the third grade in 2001, art instruction was the role of the already busy primary teacher. Marilyn, recognizing the need for a more extensive art program, approached Beth, an artist, with the suggestion of helping out with art instruction for these third graders. With a little twist of the arm, Beth agreed and the primary art program was born. Initially, the program was created for the third grade students only. With the assistance of Pedro and Doan, each Tuesday the auditorium was transformed into an art studio where the third grade artists could create with abandon. And how they created! So much so, that word of these fabulous volunteer teachers spread and the following year Marilyn and Beth expanded their program to include all students in grades 1-3.

Allison Garagusi and Kyra Lyons have graciously agreed to take on the role of art teachers in the primary wing for next year. Thanks Mrs. Garagusi and Mrs. Lyons!

Early in their program Beth and Marilyn were influenced by Muriel Silberstien-Storfer’s philosophy found in her book Doing Art Together. The Doing Art Together philosophy focuses more on the process of art than the final product. Beth said “People tend to value something that is attractive.” She described two children drawing a picture. One child draws a perfect heart. The other child draws an intricate, detailed, well thought drawing using only stick figures. “We try to show the value in art that tells us a story…to encourage children to look for the details in their art. . .to think hard about what they are drawing, then give it a shot.” Beth is interested in leading students on their “own journey of discovery..and the possibilities of discovery” by encouraging them to experiment with color and materials. “We can tell them that red and yellow make orange but when they are allowed to discover that on their own, it can be so much more meaningful.” Often times, Marilyn and Beth would read a story to their students to get their creative juices flowing. One favorite story that they have read the children is The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater. It’s the story of Mr. Plumbeam who lives on Neat St. where all the houses are the same. One day, a bird flies by and drops a big splot of orange paint on Mr. Plumbeam's neat house. The neighbors are horrified and want him to repaint his house. Mr. Plumbeam though, is pleased with the spot. Instead of repainting, he decides to add to the orange splot and creates a house unlike any in the neighborhood. "My house is me and I am it. My house...looks like all my dreams." says Mr. Plumbeam. In honor of Mr. Plumbeam’s individuality, our young artists designed their own dream houses with bright oil pastels and huge pieces of paper. The results were fantastic…houses of ice cream, candy and basketballs with hidden doors and slides. “Art is the only subject where you can’t make a mistake.” said Marilyn.

Favorite Moments

What are some of their favorite moments from the past five years of their art program? There have been many. Beth recalled a few years back when coyotes had been spotted in our own Sligo Creek. After reading a book about coyotes, the children had a chance to work on their own coyote drawings. We (the Muldoons) have a particularly fabulous coyote at our house from that project. Marilyn recalled art relay races where one child would begin a simple drawing. Each child in turn would get a chance to add to the huge, comprehensive drawing. Another favorite was when the children learned about the art of Wayne Thibeaud, an artist known for his joyful drawings of cakes, pastries and ice cream. After enjoying a treat of their own ice cream sundaes, the children were encouraged to draw representations of their recently digested ice cream sundae from memory. Yum! They’ve done drawing perspectives with lines and light and gesture drawings of their classmates out on the playground. This spring the children each created a tile with a symbol of their faith. Both Marilyn and Beth were impressed with the way the children were able to express their faith through their art. Each tile was combined into a beautiful mosaic cross that was displayed in the primary wing for all to see.

On a recent visit to Marilyn and Beth’s art program, the busy third graders were crafting their own paper airplanes. The class culminated with a launch of their creations from the top of the stage. Needless to say, they were having a lot of fun. Who wouldn’t? How about their students? What are some of their favorite memories? A quick survey of some of the kids revealed a few favorites. “Clay is the best!” was a comment heard most frequently from past and current students. Dogs, volcanoes, bowls and even a sculpted Kirby (from a video game) were some of the creations molded from a cool lump of clay. I heard about beautiful tissue paper ornaments, underwater door hangers, and collages made from torn paper.

Without a doubt though, the unanimous opinion heard from all was a love of art and a love for Mrs. Whitney and Mrs. Dahut. We wholeheartedly agree. As Marilyn and Beth move on to other opportunities next year, we thank them for so generously sharing their love and enthusiasm for art with our students!