Young Artists Put on a Show
Traditionally celebrated the week before spring break, Arts Week brings visiting artists and craftspeople to Ocracoke School to offer the kids a sampler of performing, visual, and traditional arts.
The elementary grades have a session or two with each artist; middle and high schoolers choose two artists to work with the entire week.
Kitty Mitchell is Ocracoke's art teacher for all the grades and puts on the Arts Week event every year for the benefit of the school and community.
This year's line-up was: Dan Curry, pastels and clay; Don Sinclair and Jennifer Grossi, music; Ali Padgett, dance; K.T. Childress, mask making; Jimmy Amspacher, boatbuilding; and Ms. Kitty, creative weaving.
Arts Week ends with an assembly so parents and community members can come and see the art on display and see the kids perform what they've learned.
Don and Jen talked about how they worked with the kids (who don't have any music education in school) on rhythm and basic singing. They helped the 4th graders write and perform an original song about their epic trip across the state. They were assisted by their daughters, Catherine and Maria, and led the kids in singing and playing instruments.
K.T. Childress helped the kids tap into their creativity with a variety of mask-making techniques, from simple paper plate masks with the pre-K students to huge 3-D masks with the older kids. The mask parade was a highlight of the assembly.
Ali Padgett taught the younger kids simple dance steps, and more complicated routines to the older ones, which they performed to great applause.
Dan Curry worked with the kids on individual oil pastel drawings and class murals. They also did clay work, including some pit-firing. Dan brought a potter's wheel and kiln with him to donate to Ocracoke School. Kitty did both loom and sculptural weaving with the students.
Jimmy Amspacher is a master boatbuilder from Harker's Island. He comes every year and helps the kids build a skiff. When it's finished, it will be auctioned off and proceeds will benefit the arts program.
Kitty thanked all the visiting artists, and gave a special shout-out to Merle Davis (who was in the audience) for helping her create the first Arts Week many years ago.
Arts Week was made possible in part by support from the North Carolina Arts Council, the Beaufort County Arts Council, Ocracoke Alive, and Ocracoke School PTA. There were also memorial donations made in honor of Kitty's father, Charles R. Martin, which helped fund Arts Week.
Kitty and the students raised money for Arts Week with their print sale on April 9th. Special thanks go to Barbara Jemison of Tree Top Studio and Cathy Scarborough of Over the Moon for the donations of custom mats for the students' artwork. Kitty will also have student artwork for sale at the OPS Museum's auction on Friday, April 25th and at the Ocrafolk Festival in June.
Thanks, Kitty, for all your hard work!
