On April 10, Van Buren Elementary School staff and parents saw the masterpieces students have been creating all year.

The centerpiece of Celebration of the Arts Night was a leaf sculpture the first-grade class created with the help of local artists Cherie Platter, Amanda Mathis and Brad Cox.

Last May, Van Buren was the recipient of a $12,000 PACE grant, made possible by the Brown County Art Guild and the state. Each month, both first-grade classes experienced different types of art activities under the guidance of Mathis and Platter.

Fall activities included making a quilt featuring the painted faces of Van Buren first-graders, and visiting T.C. Steele State Historic Site in Belmont to learn to draw and blend with watercolor pencils.

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In December, students learned how to draw bodies using circles and ovals to get the proportions, then used that knowledge to do a printmaking project, drawing eagles and the Statue of Liberty.

In January, they used clay to form leaves for their final project, the sculpture. In February, they made jewelry.

Celebration of the Arts Night also featured art by students in other grade levels.

Local organizations which support music, art and athletics were also present to hand out information about upcoming opportunities, Principal Christy Wrightsman said.

The night also featured a student talent show, and local artists and musicians, including Brown County Art Guild artist Ron Mack, did demonstrations for students.

Wrightsman called the PACE grant experience “a wonderful collaboration with the Brown County Art Guild.”