Vashon Artists in Schools program in full bloom

Enter Island public schools this spring and bask in the glow of arts as Vashon Artists in Schools (VAIS) residency season blooms! Teachers and local artists combine their ideas and expertise to create rich residency projects for K-12 students. VAIS, collaboration between Vashon Allied Arts and Vashon Island School District, receives generous support from Vashon Vashon Partners in Education (PIE), WA State Arts Commission, Vashon PTSA and private donations. Many projects are integrative, using tools and language of the arts to reinforce and enrich learning in math, science, history and foreign language. All projects enhance existing arts curriculum, helping students further develop essential arts skills.

Here’s a snapshot sample of VAIS’ spring activity. Lucky first graders immerse themselves in Chinese shadow puppetry and folktales. Designing and weaving individual fiber baskets, 7th grade math students grasp mathematical concepts of the golden mean and Fibonnaci sequence. High school students eager to delve deeper into ceramic art get exposed to Raku firing and advanced wheel throwing.

Copper Culture for fifth graders, evolved from a partnership forged between art teacher Carolyn Buehl and local fine artist Ivonne Kommer. Native of Chile, Kommer taught university-level metal working classes. Now, she exhibits work at Silverwood Gallery. Introduced to Chautauqua through a VAIS residency with Gail Labinski, Kommer and Buehl continue this annual tradition. Teacher and artist work together to teach students fascinating 10,000-year history of copper, its physical and chemical characteristics and copper’s applications in architecture, electronics and art. Using ancient metal working techniques, students learn to hand-hammer, texture and decorate copper bowls. Forming the metal gives students a rare opportunity to take a two-dimensional metal piece and transfer it to three-dimensional copper sculpture.

"The more the metal is hammered and moved, the more it takes on the life I want to give it as an artist," says Kommer. "Copper lends itself wonderfully to hand forming. Its plasticity, fluidity and durability provide the perfect medium, a marriage between the material world and my own creativity."

This year’s 120 fifth graders eagerly wait their turn to engage in the magic of Copper Culture. "These are the most precious pieces of art these children will create in their six years of art instruction at CES," Buehl says.

Vashon Artists in Schools (VAIS) is a Vashon Allied Arts program in collaboration with Vashon Island School District, with additional generous funding from Washington State Arts Commission, Vashon Partners in Education (PIE), Vashon PTSA and private donations.