Students in Amherst County’s EXTEND art program will exhibit their work Jan. 25 through March 9 in the Benedict Hall Gallery at Sweet Briar College. EXTEND – an acronym for “Extra Time Exploring New Dimensions” – is an after-school program for gifted students in Amherst County’s public schools.
According to Gloria Preston, district supervisor of enrichment and educational technology programs, “In addition to visual and performing arts, EXTEND provides educational services to gifted students in general intellectual and specific academic areas.”
“Bird’s Eye View,” a colored pencil drawing by Central Elementary School third grader Taylor Baker.The art exhibit at Sweet Briar will include paintings, drawings and mixed-media pieces by students from Amelon, Amherst, Elon, Central Madison Heights and Temperance elementary schools; Amherst and Monelison middle schools, and Amherst County High School.
EXTEND art classes are taught by Amherst County teachers Carol Hopchak, Elizabeth Marcais, Rosalie White and Wendell Pitsenbarger and Jill Jensen, a local artist who also is an artist-in-residence through the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Marcais, who teaches EXTEND art classes at Amherst, Central and Temperance Elementary Schools, already has a connection to Sweet Briar. Her husband, Tom, works in the College’s academic computing department.
“Crazy Japan,” a Styrofoam print by Amherst Elementary School fourth grader Nikita Andreikin.She said the artwork, created by children in grades three through 12, includes a “wide variety of different media, techniques and subject matter … as varied as the many different ages and art interests of our talented EXTEND art students in Amherst County.”
Marcais said working with her students has been enjoyable, particularly the “special moments when they surprise themselves and or me with their creative ideas or when they discover they can do things they didn’t think they could.”
White, an art teacher at Amherst High School, agreed. “I have always enjoyed the challenge of directing students in ways that allow them to create and have faith in what they create,” she said.
“The EXTEND program enables me to get the best of the best and encourage them to advance their skills in art. … Even with a group, it becomes independent study for each, as they have an opportunity to progress in the art field that interests them.”
“Kitty Face,” a crayon drawing by Amherst Elementary School third grader Peyton Bryant.Nancy McDearmon, registraral assistant for the Sweet Briar Galleries, was the first art teacher in the EXTEND art program and developed the curriculum. She was pleased with the students’ pieces. As examples, she cited drawings by third graders Taylor Baker of Central Elementary and Peyton Bryant of Amherst Elementary.
The students’ drawings are “really fine examples of works by young artists who have an advanced understanding of the picture plane,” she said. “They include design elements not usually seen until two to four years later, including overlapping of objects, shading and use of line for texture, shape and expression.
“Their images show attention to detail as they focus on intricate parts of the subject and in some cases unusual point of view.”
Benedict Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, contact McDearmon at 381-6547 or
nmcdearmon@sbc.edu.
– By
Suzanne Ramsey,
SBC staff writer
