Families flocked to Prairie Knolls Middle School in Elgin on Saturday morning to enjoy the artwork and music presented by Central Community Unit School District 301 middle and elementary school students.
The six schools represented at the fifth annual Fine Arts Showcase were: Prairie Knolls; Central Middle School, Burlington; Country Trails Elementary School, Elgin; Prairie View Grade School, Elgin; Howard B. Thomas Grade School, Burlington, and Lily Lake Grade School, Maple Park.
“This is the fifth year for the Fine Arts Showcase,” said Lynette Niequist, art teacher at Prairie View. “We’ve always had wonderful crowds and great support from the community. We love that we can showcase the fine arts produced by students from kindergarten through eighth grade. People can look at artwork of all different age groups.”
More Top Picks Best Drones For Photography
Alissa Carter, Prairie Knolls music teacher, said Saturday’s event was a chance for families and friends to view “all the music and all the art that everyone normally doesn’t get to see.”
Carter applauded the parents and grandparents who attended the event.
“You are the reason we are here,” Carter said. “You make this a wonderful place to make music.”
In addition to the artwork displays in the hallway, there were performances by sixth, seventh and eighth grade bands; the Prairie Knolls jazz band; the Central Middle jazz band; and sixth, seventh and eighth grade choruses.
The last performance was a choir concert that included all four elementary school choirs along with the middle school choirs singing “Wake up This Morning.”
A new feature at the showcase this year gave students a chance to explain why art is important to them.
Some of the student sayings that were displayed along with the artwork were:
“Art is important because it helps you think a lot and makes your brain stronger.”
“Art helps you to express yourself.”
“Almost everything you make is art. Without art, some things wouldn’t be invented.”
“It’s a fun way to show who you are and what you like to express using a pencil and paper.”
Elgin resident Jake Lederle, a fifth-grade student at Prairie View, wrote that: “Art is important because it allows people to forget about their problems and escape in the beauty of art. My grandpa was a great artist. He passed it down to my dad who then passed it down to my brother and me. I want to pass down the skill of drawing and art even further in my family. It has been in my family for a very long time.”
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News