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Art teacher Christine Harvey thanks district as ceramics studio nears completion
Summary
At a Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools board meeting, art teacher Christine Harvey and senior student Emmett Blau praised the district's new ceramics studio, described the program's educational benefits, and invited board members to view student work on display at the Oliver Art Center.
Christine Harvey, the district's high-school art teacher, told the Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools Board that the new ceramics studio is nearly finished and thanked staff and community supporters for the project. "It's time for me to say thank you," Harvey said as she invited board members to visit ceramics classes during their second, third, fourth or fifth hours.
Harvey traced the program's history in the district, describing earlier cramped facilities with poor ventilation and the multi-year, community-supported effort to build a proper studio. She credited Frank Iikens, custodial staff and Panther parents for helping secure equipment and handle electrical and ventilation upgrades that made the program viable again.
The teacher emphasized the classroom benefits she sees in daily instruction: lab-style skills work in the first semester, study of contemporary and historical artists in the second semester, and the opportunity for students to "plan, experiment, fail, revise, and practice again." She said the new ventilation system and updated work surfaces have improved safety and classroom conditions.
Emmett (EMTT) Blau, a senior who has taken ceramics for three years, described the course as a place to develop teamwork, communication and resilience. "Ceramics has taught me a lot, especially as a person," Blau said, highlighting how learning to revise work after failure has helped him persist academically and emotionally. Blau also noted several student pieces are on exhibit at the Oliver Art Center and encouraged the board and community to view the show before the end of April.
Board members and administrators thanked Harvey and Blau for their remarks. The public comment illustrated the program's educational and extracurricular impact and reinforced the administration's earlier notes about project work related to the building and long-range planning.
Next steps: There was no formal board action tied directly to the ceramics remarks; board members were invited to visit the classroom and the student art exhibit.
