(Left to Right) Butteville Elementary PTO Secretary Nina Crownover, PTO 2nd Vice President Randi Scott, President Kaci Masson, Great Northern Services Development Director Marie-Josée Wells, students from Butteville Elementary 4th and 5th grades, and Butteville Elementary Teacher Chet Kyle.
(As announced in the Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers on May 23rd, 2018)
A work of art created by Butteville Elementary School students on display at Great Northern Services (GNS) recently sold to a private collector. The Deer Skull Lamp– a project created in 2017 by Chet Kyle’s 4th grade class—was purchased as a retirement present. The piece was on display “gallery-style” in GNS’ Community Room—a free venue for nonprofit organizations and public agencies and home of the GNS’ Student Art Project.
22 students from Kyle’s class had a hand in creating the Deer Skull Lamp. “The lamp is a unique piece made from special materials,” says Kyle, “It started when I found the skull on one of the buttes on Mount Shasta. I used a bike seat stand that was used in the 1996 Olympics for wind tunnel tests by my dad (Chester Kyle).” Students helped by beading wires and wrapping the lamp. “When we first started the students comments were ‘what is that thing?’ and ‘are you sure that is art?’” says Kyle, “When we finished they were proud of our creation.”
That pride is reaffirmed by the purchase of the piece. “One of our goals in displaying student art is to empower young artists,” says Bonnie Kubowitz, GNS Executive Director, “We hope to inspire and encourage kids to create art and become familiar with the world of art.”
The GNS’ Student Art Project displays up to 20 pieces of student art on the wall at a time. “The room has an estimated annual attendance of around 1,000 people,” says Nichole McCown, GNS Marketing Assistant and contact for the Community Room, “This gives the student’s art a high level of exposure. Whenever I take someone on a tour of the facilities it’s one of the first things they notice.”
All displayed artwork is priced for sale and the entire amount goes directly back to the school whose students created the piece. This provides funding to help launch more artistic endeavors by the students. “The funds go directly to the students’ Art, Band, Strings, Choir and Drama programs!” says Kyle, “We recently did watercolor paintings. We are always working on some type of art.”
All 51 schools in Siskiyou County have been invited to submit student-created art for the GNS Student Art project. Educators interested in having their student’s artwork on display should contact Nichole McCown, GNS Marketing Assistant at (530)938-4115 ext 115.
