Art Department

Department News & Events

• Congratulations to our Bob Wand Memorial Purchase Award Winner for the 2009-10 school year. The young artist is Adna Godinjak from Valley View Elementary who created the art last year as a 2nd grader. She calls her painting: "The Blooming Blossom." She explored the techniques of mixing colors using watercolors, with brushes, sponges, and splattering. The creative painting displays a large flower growing up from the earth with many abstract shapes and colors placed around it. Adna said, “It represents how nature can be very unique and strange in a special way for every root.” The framed painting is hanging outside of the board room at the District Services Center where it will remain for the current school year. It will then be added to the permanent collection in the upstairs gallery by the office of the superintendent.
• 120 selected pieces of art will be rotating throughout the elementary schools as the Bob Wand Traveling Art Exhibit showcases some of the best young artists in our district. These pieces were exhibited throughout the summer months along with hundreds of other entries. These were some of the best selections we have ever received, so the judging was very difficult. More than 1000 entries were received. Many thanks to all the talented artists who submitted work to be considered.
• The Holiday Bazaar featuring the arts and crafts of many creative employees of the district takes place November 21st, in a new location at West Jr. High. Hundreds of holiday shoppers have made this a favorite stop for the season where they can see all the beautiful new gift selections hand made by our BSD staff. Prices are reasonable and Toys for Tots collection barrels will also be available for your charitable donations. Cinnamon Rolls, cookies, coffee and hot chocolate will also be available as well as a deli luncheon.
• The Winter Holiday Card Contest will be due Friday, November 13th, at 4:30 PM. at the Art Cottage. The winning card design will be distributed to all the employees of the school district and to many other patrons in our community. The winning artist will also receive 50 cards of his/her design to send to family and friends. The top 100 winning entries will be on exhibit during the month of December and will also receive a gift certificate to Boise Blue Art Supply.
• Empty Bowls has become a popular fall "service learning project" for ceramics students in our district. In collaboration with The Potter’s Center, hundreds of students create beautiful bowls to donate to the Idaho Food Bank to fill with soup for this fund raiser. For a $10 donation, customers can select a ceramic bowl to fill with soup made by some of Boise’s best chefs. The bowl goes home with the customer and the money goes to feed the homeless in our community. Even if you can’t attend, you can still make a donation to the Idaho Food Bank –Empty Bowls. These bowls are due for the event by Nov. 18th. We are proud of our student artists who use their talents in service to the community.
• Festival of Trees~ Many schools from the Boise School District will be entering wreaths, garlands, and trees in St. Alphonsus Festival of Trees this year! In honor of the Festival’s 26th anniversary, the Art Cottage is donating wreaths to the first 25 teachers who would like their classes to participate in this worthy cause. Entries are due at the Festival on Sunday, November 22nd. Call the Art Cottage to reserve a wreath for your classroom.
• This year marks the 28th anniversary for "Paint the Town". For more than a decade, art students from our district have created the T-shirt designs used in the promotion of this community-wide event. First, second and third prize winners are honored at a reception at Brown's Gallery downtown with the winning entry being selected for the current T-shirt design.
• March is YOUTH ART MONTH and all area schools are encouraged to showcase some of their best art for this annual event. Art is a critical part of the education of the whole child and provides excellent training in developing fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. Students who are involved in the arts discover a myriad of strategies for creative problem solving. As world cultures are integrated into the course of study, students gain a better understanding of the world around them and diversity is celebrated.
• AP ART Programs ~Art Departments in all of our high schools have now been approved for AP Art Programs. We currently offer Advanced Placement Studio Design-Drawing, Studio Design 2-D and Studio Design 3-D courses. Those students interested in pursuing the rigors of a portfolio assessment can now begin the process of creating artwork for submission.
• Plein Aire Painters will be providing an Art scholarship for a 2010 high school senior in Boise who is intending to pursue a major in Art at a university for the 2010-2011 school year. This $500 scholarship will be given to a highly motivated and talented high school art student. Interested students will need to submit a portfolio and digital slide presentation along with letters of recommendation to the Plein Aire Scholarship Committee. Applications for this scholarship can be requested from the Art Cottage.
• Eddie Bush Memorial Art Scholarship is available to any graduating 2010 high school senior in Boise who is interested in furthering studies in art at the university level to pursue a career in any field of art. This $500 scholarship is in honor of a former Boise Schools student who had a love of art and was opening a gallery here in Boise at the time of his death. Applications will need to be submitted along with a portfolio of work and letters of recommendation to the Eddie Bush Memorial Scholarship committee and applications are available from any Art teacher or through the Art Cottage.
• Creative displays of artwork from each school in the district are rotated throughout the city in a variety of public venues: Idaho State Department of Education, 2nd floor of the Len B. Jordan Building (6th and State); Capital Educators Federal Credit Union (corner of Franklin & Cole Rd.); District Services Center (8169 W. Victory Rd.); St. Luke's Hospital (Children's Emergency Wing); Idaho State Board of Education (13th & Bannock).
• Grants for assisting projects and opportunities in the arts are available through the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Boise City Commission on the Arts and also through the Boise Schools District Foundation office.

Art Department
	8051 W. Salt Creek Ct. Boise, ID 83709 M - F 12:30 - 4:30 PHONE ~ 208.854.6715 FAX ~ 208.854.6716