The walls in the upstairs art gallery at Mesa Public Library are beginning to fill up with artwork created by students from every school in the Los Alamos Public School System. Courtesy photo

LIBRARY News:

The Upstairs Art Gallery at Mesa Public Library is more colorful than it has ever been, with the walls covered with artwork created by students from every school in the Los Alamos Public School System.

The exhibit opens to the public with a reception 5-7 p.m. Wednesday and will remain on display regular library hours through March 24.

This year’s All-Schools Art Show at Mesa Public Library is filled with glorious, colorful work in a variety of media, from painting to sculpture, along with ceramics, digital arts, photography, fused glass, video, papier mache, and batik for good measure. All five elementary schools, the middle school and high school art classes have submitted work for the show.

Visual Arts team leader Stephanie Spanier-Rittner, who teaches at Piñon Elementary, led the organization of this year’s exhibit; no easy task when you’re dealing with seven schools and hundreds of pieces of artwork. And each teacher in the system has spent countless hours matting the artwork and making sure the labels are correct for each student.

That would be impressive enough, but the Mesa show is not the only exhibit that is on display right now. There is more artwork on display at the Los Alamos Medical Center. It is evident that the art teachers don’t just teach technique- many of the artworks are rooted in different cultures and in art history. To create those works, the students have studied Asian art and its history, Aboriginal art, Native American art forms, Indian art and classic art history.

For more information about library events, call 505.662.8250.

Sidebar from the National Art Education Association

Students who participate in the arts for at least three hours a day, three times a week for at least one year are:

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem.
• 4 times more likely to participate in a math or science fair.
• 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools.

Though often perceived as an “extra,” and thus expendable when budgets are tight, arts education is a fundamental part of any school curriculum. Arts education:

• Stimulates and develops the imagination and critical thinking, and refines cognitive and creative skills.
• Positively impacts the developmental growth of every child and helps level the “learning field” across socio-economic boundaries.
• Strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, adding to overall academic achievement and school success.
• Teaches children life skills such as developing an informed perception; articulating a vision; learning to solve problems and make decisions; building self-confidence and self-discipline; developing the ability to imagine what might be; and accepting responsibility to complete tasks from start to finish.
• Nurtures important values, including team-building skills; respecting alternative viewpoints; and appreciating and being aware of different cultures and traditions.