“I base my classroom on the premise that every child is an artist; this is their studio,” says Leah McAllister, art teacher at Southside Elementary. Mrs. McAllister smiles and admits that she can’t believe she gets paid to do this: to help children engage with art and tap into their own creativity. “I put out the supplies, and they show me what they can do with them,” she expresses. Recently, students have not only been showing their classmates, teachers, and families what they are capable of creating, but they have also added a new group of people to their audience: those wishing to rescue an animal.
Over the summer, Leah encountered some inspiration from a teacher group to which she belongs. A teacher shared that her middle school students conducted pet portraits at a community event. Leah immediately loved the idea and began brainstorming how it could be adapted for her elementary-aged students. She determined that it would be a unique way for students to learn basic elements of art, such as drawing, details, and texture. With this initial plan laid out, Leah contacted the Woodford Humane Society to present her idea and to gauge their interest. The staff members at the humane society needed no convincing; they were immediately excited to join this partnership. Both Mrs. McAllister and the team at the humane society eagerly awaited the start of school.
When school began in August, Leah anticipated that a few classes per week would be dedicated to students creating pet portraits or animal drawings. However, it only took a few days for students to become utterly invested in this project. Leah says, “It quickly became an everyday event, Kindergarten through fifth grade.” She has been blown away by the enjoyment and commitment from the kids. “It has brought on a lot of excitement, a lot of anticipation. I love seeing every student in the classroom so engaged. They have truly grasped onto this, and they love it.”
Each week, Mrs. McAllister receives a document from the humane society that includes a few animals, their names, and descriptions of their personalities. After all, the students must first be introduced to the animals before they are able to create their portraits. Shelby Slone, Community Outreach Director for Woodford Humane Society, sends the document to Leah and sincerely awaits the portraits in return. The entire team at the humane society looks forward to seeing what the students create. Shelby explains that they look through the artwork during staff meetings, and it brings a smile to everyone’s faces. She says, “The pet portraits have been such a light.”
One of the most enjoyable elements of these portraits is the fact that students have so uniquely captured the distinct personality and physical traits of each animal. Shelby was originally going to just send names and photos to Leah for kids to use, but another child in her life, her nephew, said that he would need to know more about an animal before he could draw it. The idea was sparked to include detailed descriptions of each animal for the students to better understand their subjects, and they have taken that information and run with it.
Mrs. McAllister explains, “When the students come in each class period, I read the descriptions that Ms. Shelby sends me from the humane society. The students have taken that to be all there is to know about that animal,” She smiles and adds, “They find out that the dog is playful, so they add dog toys or draw what the owners could do with that dog. If the personality is shy, they try to incorporate that into their artwork. We had one that said the cat was not a fan of being picked up and didn’t like to be up high, so many of them drew the cat at the bottom of the page. It’s so fun to see their interpretations.”
Additionally, Mrs. McAllister says, “Students need an outlet. I wanted them to have a reason for why they are creating art.” The Southside artists have certainly found meaning in these pet portraits. “They have taken it upon themselves to be partners with the human society. It’s not just the Southside art program partnering with the humane society; it is each individual student.”
Violet Long, fifth grade student at Southside, has taken a personal investment in the partnership. As both an avid animal lover and art lover, pet portraits have been right up her alley. When asked about creating artwork for the humane society, Violet says, “It’s awesome. I have had so much fun drawing the animals.” However, Violet has expanded her portraits from drawing to other art forms; she even made a sculpture of Donatello, a Pit Bull Terrier mix. Her heart for these animals is evident by the time, effort, and creativity she has devoted to the portraits. Violet knows that the animals will be happy and cared for during their time at the Woodford Humane Society, but she longs for them to have a permanent home with their own family. (Violet requests it to be stated that Donatello is still up for adoption and would make a great pet for the right owner.)
Violet Long displays her sculpture of Donatello and her drawing of S'more.
Mrs. McAllister notes that the pet portraits allow students to learn about community involvement and service to others. She explains, “It’s important for their development. They need to know a community works together and cares about each other.” Projects such as these have truly helped students in developing community awareness. Violet is proof that children are not too young to understand the importance of community and togetherness. In fact, Violet knows it quite profoundly. She says, “If you asked someone from California, ‘Do you know where Woodford County is?’ Pretty much all of them would say, ‘Who? What?’” She pauses and then states, “Woodford County is a small place, but it doesn’t do small things.”
The students of Woodford County Public Schools, yet again, serve as inspiration for the adults who also love this “small place that doesn’t do small things.”
Thank you to Leah McAllister, Shelby Slone, Beth Oleson, Marketing Director for Woodford Humane Society (WHS), and the entire team at WHS for making this opportunity possible for our students.
If you are interested in adopting a pet from Woodford Humane Society, please call (859) 873-5401. There are many incredible animals who would make an awesome addition to your home. You can also visit woodfordhumane.org to see photos and descriptions. Additionally, the humane society is currently seeking photo submissions for the “Canine Cutelympics.” Submissions are due by Sunday, October 3, and voting will take place Monday, October 4, through Sunday, October 17. There are prizes and various categories to enter. For more information, click here.
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