Elementary art show returns to Redlands Unified

The Redlands Unified School District-wide art show featuring students in kindergarten through fifth grade had not been held since before the COVID-19 pandemic. This past Saturday, Smiley Elementary’s multipurpose room had a steady flow of visitors to the event, which was organized by the five elementary art teachers: Kristy Staggs, Jennifer Bryant, Paula Emick, Hannah Kuhlman and Monica Foulston. The show ran from 1 to 4 p.m.

“I made an African-style mask painting,” said Ryker Dawes, a third grade student at Judson & Brown. “I was just going with my favorite color,” he said about the choice of purple. “[My teacher] said it was one of the best in third grade.”

Each kid received an excellence ribbon for having an art piece juried into the show.

“I think it’s important that kids get art in school and that they get to develop that portion of their minds and creativity,” said Ryker’s mom, Mackenzie Dawes. “Learning about doing things the way they are instructed to do, but pushing the limits. It’s something they don’t get when they are learning math and reading.” She added, “I hope it continues in our school.”

Art teacher Hannah Kuhlman used to teach fourth grade in San Bernardino but came to Redlands to teach art two years ago. “I’ve always wanted to teach art,” she said.

When Prop. 28 was approved in 2022, California started funding art programs. In Redlands, that meant adding teaching positions a couple of years ago.

Bryant has been an art teacher in the Redlands district for the past 26 years. She explained that with Prop. 28, the district had to restructure the classes, which meant the five art teachers taught at four schools each. “They are experimenting with the format, but I don’t think they’ve found the magic yet,” she said.

“This is the good stuff,” Bryant said about the show. “Getting to see the excitement on the kids’ faces and the parents, how excited they are to be recognized.”

“It’s been really fun to see their artistic, creative processes,” Kuhlman said. “The kids that are super open-minded when they come in tend to be the most creative,” she said. Part of the process has been teaching the kids that mistakes are okay.

“I did a big focus this year on teaching them how to create titles and artist statements,” she said. “Hearing them talk about their art that they just made within 25 minutes was pretty incredible and very deep, actually.”

“At the start I looked at [the original artwork] and I was like, I can’t do it, but when I colored it in, oh this is good. I can shade everything,” said Noah Guerrero, a fifth grader from Victoria Elementary School. He enjoys the art classes, and his confidence grew.

The art teachers chose pieces of art that represented the lessons, explained art teacher Monica Foulston. Not all elementary students had an art piece at the exhibit; the space dictated how many pieces they could choose, which was still several hundred. “What we were looking for was a good representation of skill, interest and how hard the students worked,” Foulston said.

Special education students’ artwork was also part of the exhibit. “It was outstanding,” she said.

“I think our community is hungry for things like this for our students,” Foulston said. “And I really love that there are students who are here today who wouldn’t be noticed at our schools academically.”

The show has previously been located at the Margaret Clark Art Education Enrichment Program Gallery and the hospitality room at Redlands High School, Bryant explained, but both locations were too small. Smiley Elementary’s art program, “Arts Attack,” meant that there were display boards already at the site, so the district art program chose that school for the event this year.

“This is the biggest turnout we’ve ever had,” Bryant said. Because of the event’s massive success, the art teachers discussed where they could host a bigger show next year. After the hiatus, the show is planned to become an annual event again.

Each student learned about the basics of art through well-known artists and inspirations such as masks and space. Second graders learned about the illusion of depth through artist Winslow Homer. Other students learned about black line paintings inspired by artist Vassily Kandinsky or about color families through abstract artist Paul Klee.