Sparta — Student art pieces are brightening up the once-bare walls of Sparta High School’s F-wing.
A grant from the Sparta Education Foundation funded the purchase of frames and mounting equipment for a new showcase area, which art teacher Donald Crawford is using to display student pieces that demonstrate exceptional skill or commitment and hard work.
The opportunity to be featured gives students an “extra little push” to strive for their best in their creations, Crawford said: “It’s meaningful for them to get it out here.”
That’s the case for senior Gabriel Gair, who has a Georgia O’Keefe-inspired oil pastel flower rendering and a charcoal still life on display.
“My goal is to have every one of my works this year get put up in the hallway,” Gabriel said.
When he’s not in Crawford’s class, Gabriel is taking dual-enrollment classes. Art gives him a chance to unwind.
“I just love doing it,” he said.
Freshman Abigail Baltruczak also has a piece on display: an acrylic painting of a hay bail titled “Yellow Field.”
“I’m really honored that I get to have it out here,” Abigail said.
Crawford plans to keep filling up the walls, cycling out old projects for new ones as the year progresses.
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