The Clarke County School District (CCSD) and AthFest Educates is launching a program that brings professional, local artists to teach elementary school students called Athens AIR: Artists in Residence.
Selected schools will host one-week artist residencies where students and the artist will collaborate on a project. Potential projects include art installations like murals and sculptures, ceramics, printmaking, fiber arts, and digital media.
This first year, three schools will be selected to participate. More schools will be added over the course of three years until all of Clarke County’s elementary schools have hosted a residency.
AthFest Educates has awarded more than $750,000 in grants for projects in art classrooms for Clarke County schools in the past. This collaboration supports the district’s priority of further connecting its schools to the community.
Mary Joyce is executive director of Athfest Educates.
She said, “We, as an organization, believe that every child deserves to experience the enriching impact of the arts, but it’s really important to see that art can be a career. So, seeing artists in their schools, creating these projects, I think provides insight into how art can be a part of their lives moving forward all through adulthood.”
