Temple Daily Telegram - tdtnews.com

A little art will do ya: teacher posts kids’ work

Jessica Baden created her art piece, “Picasso faces,” when she was in kindergarten. (Courtesy photo)
To learn more:

The artwork can be viewed at www.artsonia.com/schools/kennedypowell1. The complete list is under the category “Misc. Artworks.”

To look for a specific student, go to “Current Roster” under “No Grade.” Last names are not allowed, so search by first name.

The Web site also features more than 500 pieces from Donna Staten’s classes at Bethune Comet and Reagan Mega in 1980-83, Meredith Magnet in 1983-84 and Meredith-Dunbar 1991-2000.

--

The Louvre isn’t the only place to browse 30,000 works of art.

With a few keystrokes and a quick click of the mouse you can view the expansive galleries of Kennedy-Powell Elementary on the Web site Artsonia.com.

Since 2000, Donna Staten has compiled an online record of the 30,000 separate art pieces her kindergarten through fifth-grade students created in her classes.

The galleries feature all types of art such as paintings, origami, engravings and sculptures.

“My goal once I got into it was to get every single piece that the kids finished into their online portfolio,” Ms. Staten said. “I actually take digital pictures and upload each one. It’s very, very time consuming.”

The idea to document all the artwork came to Ms. Staten after reading about Artsonia in an art journal. Once she got started she said she became addicted, but in a good way.

“The kids are capable of doing such unbelievable pieces of art,” Ms. Staten said. “It just seemed a shame that people couldn’t see everything they did.”

Before Artsonia, Ms. Staten would keep a few pieces of her students’ art to showcase to the next year’s students. Now she can make every child’s work into a learning tool and family keepsake.

“It was too good to be true. The site showed their artwork and it allows parent participation and involvement,” Ms. Staten said. “Kids have a collective archived portfolio forever. Artsonia is planning to never take them down. They want the kids to grow up and be able to show their kids.”

Ms. Staten taught her last class for the Temple school district in May and will begin work near Austin in the fall.

The art teacher began to tear up when asked about her time at Kennedy-Powell and her decision to leave. Instead of an answer, Ms. Staten chose to praise the students whose artistry she helped develop.

“There are students who are so talented in art and no one knows about it,” she said. “It’s always been my goal to get them out there, get them in contests and recognized for it.”

--rrenfrow@temple-telegram.com

 
Text size
Email to a friend
Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com Listen to article Print version

more from Aug. 3

related articles

more from Ryan Renfrow

most popular

classifieds

 

Home | News | Sports | Classifieds | Real Estate | Entertainment | Extra | Help | Subscribe | Advertising
Temple Daily Telegram
Copyright © 2008, Temple Daily Telegram