Parents, students praise Craven County Schools art show and the value of art classes

Students and parents used a public-comment period to praise a student art show hosted in the Craven County Schools library and to describe how art class benefits pupils.

A student (Craven County Schools) said, "So my artwork was a pumpkin at night in, like, a grasslands, I guess. Felt pretty good. It it was like like being, like, Leonardo da Vinci." The student described the pride of completing the piece and stepping back to admire it.

A parent/guardian said, "We've been at Craven County School since kindergarten, and we haven't had any negative issues or anything. It's been a great time. I like that he has art class. I understand some schools don't always have the ability to have art or some of the other creative classes. I think the art show is really cool because it gives them something to be proud of and display and have something, to celebrate their work in art." The parent said the show gives students an opportunity to display work and to build self‑esteem.

Another student described a classroom assignment: "I made a I'm pretty sure it's called monochromatic, and it's a fruit basket. And you have to choose a color, and I chose orange. And you can only use orange, white, and black to make all the colors." The explanation illustrates the kind of project on display and the techniques taught in class.

A parent/guardian added, "I'm excited that she can get the exposure and and the reward of a good job in letting other folks see what she's done. So I I think that's good, for building her self esteem in the class and just a new experience for her." A subsequent comment reinforced the idea that finishing and viewing a project can boost confidence: "Because when you really work hard and at the end, when you step back and look at your project, it can really admire" followed by "yourself." (attributed in transcript to a second speaker).

A community member framed the event as part of the district's broader extracurricular offerings: "So art gives the children an opportunity even if it's not their favorite, you know, an opportunity to express yourself, pull little things out of their brain and just put it on paper. And then like Colton said, stand back and admire and look at what they've created. Well, I think we had great turnout. I love getting to go to this event, a great opportunity for our students to actually come into the library. Craven County Schools is the choice, for a school system, because we have all these various things to offer for our students." The speaker added, "It's not just football on Friday nights. It's not just Friday night lights. It's the whole panoply of things that we offer in our school system that you really can't get at any other place, frankly, in our county."

No policy proposals, motions or votes on district programs were recorded in the provided transcript. Speakers primarily emphasized the educational and social benefits of art instruction and the value of showcasing student work.