Washougal School District students work together to bring art to life

Students in Mrs. Alice Yang’s art classes at Cape Horn-Skye Elementary School created ‘monsters’ in their art class

It’s not every day that a kindergartener gets to see their art brought to life, but that’s what happened at Cape Horn-Skye Elementary this month.  Students in Mrs. Alice Yang’s art classes at Cape created “monsters” in their art class.  These drawings were brought to life by Yang’s Canyon Creek Middle School Art students!  

Yang first worked on the art project with the younger set of students, with some drawing inspiration from books, games or movies.  Others let their imaginations run wild as they created artwork that depicted a monster they wanted to see made into a tangible stuffed animal. 

Yang said, “I was so happy to see how hard the middle schoolers worked because they didn’t want to disappoint the younger students!  It really brought to light the strong sense of community we have at Cape and Canyon.  The student engagement was incredible.  I had several students sew more than one project and ask to work on them at home as well.”  

The middle school students worked with Yang, who ordered fabric in a number of different colors, learning sewing techniques and strategies for creating the complex designs the younger students imagined.  

CCMS Student Hayley Lomax said that in the art she created, “it was a little challenging to figure out how to make the head stand up, so it is a little floppy.” 

Yang added that, “Something about the real world application of the sewing / crafting – challenge to put skills together to make the art work as a project.” She added, “I love that our middle schoolers are not only connecting with the little artists, but they are also learning how to sew, which is such an important skill. There were several drawings that were challenging to interpret with felt and thread, but the students’ creativity and problem-solving skills shone through.”

Lomax said that “it was cool to create art for someone else; you don’t normally get to see the enjoyment someone else receives when they see or experience art!”

The younger students were amazed by the work the middle school students had done, and were presented both with their artwork that was the inspiration for the stuffed animal, and the new monster that was created just for them.  

Cape Horn-Skye Principal Brook Henley said,  “Our students have such a special opportunity to learn on a Transition to Kindergarten  to 8th grade campus.  The staff’s commitment to ensuring our students are role models to one another is phenomenal.  Mrs. Yang’s project is a wonderful example of utilizing our unique school setup for developing lifelong skills, community mentorship, and memories.”

Visual arts classes and projects like this one are funded by the Washougal School Levy. The levy supports great opportunities for students to explore their interests, develop their talent, and share their passion with our community. 

Information provided by the Washougal School District.