On March 12, Independence Primary School (IPS) welcomed families and community members for this year’s IPS Art Show from 6–8 p.m. The evening celebrated months of creativity and exploration centered around the theme, Art Through National Parks.
Throughout the school year, each grade level studied one of America’s major national parks and created artwork inspired by its landscapes, wildlife, colors, and natural features. As visitors moved through the building, they traveled from park to park, exploring canyon cliffs, towering sequoias, mountain peaks, marshlands, and waterfalls, all through the eyes of IPS student artists.
A highlight of the evening was the fourth grade’s five-panel mural Mural Collaboration. Each panel is 4ft by 4ft and has 16 total mini works of art on it creating one large painting. All together this mural is over 20 ft long and honors Northeast Ohio’s own Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP).It features the historic canal, waterfalls, train system, forests, and local wildlife that make this region so special. After the show, the mural was donated to CVNP as a meaningful gift from IPS students to the community.
The event also included an interactive Virtual Art Show Passport. Guests visited each national park hallway, completed fun bonus missions, uploaded selfies to the Art Show Photo Wall, and voted for artwork that made them smile, showed strong design, and inspired them to want to visit that place. “I really wanted each family to be more engaged with the rest of the show so with the passport and voting, this will give the families a chance to explore not only their child's work, but the artwork of every student!”
Mary Shaffer, a local clay artist, also was in attendance and displayed her pottery wheel talents. The third and fourth grade Choir Club also performed several songs about nature. Families also enjoyed treats from Kona Ice. Families enjoyed shopping at the Scholastic Book Fair as well.
“We are incredibly lucky to live in a community with a national park right in our backyard. Creating a mural for Cuyahoga Valley National Park was the perfect opportunity for our fourth graders to make a meaningful local connection to a place they can explore, appreciate, and return to for the rest of their lives,” said Art Teacher Mike Gruber. This is the 15th year of the Art Show and the creation of the fourth grade mural. During the afternoon of the Art Show, representatives from CVNP came to the school for a “get to know the park” assembly for the fourth graders.
IPS students poured their hearts into their work, and the show provided a special opportunity to celebrate their talents together as a school community.
