By Staff
NEW TILES Keiana Lee, left, and April Carter, right, fourth-grade students art Harris Upper Elementary School, examine the Art Car before making their own tiles for the car. Photo by Kelly Quackenbush/The Meridian Star
By Kelly Quackenbush/The Meridian Star
April 26, 2001
Harris Upper Elementary students helped complete the Sara Hodgson's Art Car project Wednesday for an Art Car Parade to be held in Houston.
The program was created by Hodgson and more than 2000 students from seven states in conjunction with the Art Works Enrichment Fund. The car was donated by Central City Toyota of Philadelphia, Pa.
Hodgson taught an art class with Harris Upper Elementary students and tiles were placed on the car while the children watched.
Gloria Johnson and Elma Tanksley, art teachers, were chosen to share the tile-making experience with their classes.
The school has been partnered with Cassidy Elementary School in Philadelphia, Penn., and photos and experiences will be exchanged. So far, 36 different programs have participated in this project, including public, private and religious schools, after-school programs, recreation centers, YMCA's, home school students and churches.
The final school will be in Houston and the children there will complete the car.
The overall goal of the project is to raise awareness of the Art Works Enrichment Fund, and to raise funds by direct contributions, sponsorship of the miles driven to Houston and promotional tours at local schools, corporations and public events.
The fund will help to get art supplies into the hands of interested children, one child at a time. It is designed to support the visual arts through the purchase of art supplies and the funding of summer art programs for children from moderate-income families.
The fund, started in September 2000, is off to a good start with close to 5 percent of the $100,000 goal raised with the support of artists and art teachers from greater Philadelphia, Pa.
Kelly Quackenbush is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call her at 693-1551, ext. 3228, or e-mail her at kquackenbush@themeridianstar.com.