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Givens Elementary’s all-day art festival returns May 8; school and PTO fund activities
Summary
Givens Elementary showcased its multi-day art festival to the Webster Groves School Board, describing an all-day, schoolwide event on May 8 that includes screen printing, canvases, photography and community artist participation.
Katie Cook, the art specialist at Givens Elementary, told the board the Givens Art Festival began in 2018 and engages the entire school in stations including screen printing, canvas painting, photography, sculpture, drama and art with movement. “It’ll be May 8 this year,” Cook said about the date for the festival.
Cook said students rotate among stations for the entire day and that the PTO covers the majority of supplies; in some years she supplements costs personally so the program continues. She described a long-running tradition of enlarging selected student pieces on canvas and offering certificates to the students whose work is chosen.
Why it matters: The festival is a district-recognized experiential learning day that the school schedules as a full instructional day devoted to the arts. Cook said all students receive a screen-printed T-shirt and that the school works to make the shirts available regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Funding and logistics: PTO pays the majority of supplies; iPads used for the photography station are nearing end of life and may require replacement to continue that part of the festival. Local artists have participated in past years; Cook said 100% student engagement is typical.
Board response: Board members praised the event for community-building and the arts’ role in student engagement. No formal action or additional funding request was recorded in the transcript.
