Student artists take art into community with ‘Art Drops’

Eighth grade artists at Colonial Middle School (CMS) participated in their first “Art Drop” on November 13 to celebrate World Kindness Day. They created drawings with inspiring quotes and placed them around the community.

“My Art Drop says, ‘Kindness can make a bad day good and a good day better,'” said CMS eighth grader Aniya Wood. “I chose this quote, because you can never stop giving kindness. There’s always more to give.”

Art Drop is a movement created by illustrator Jake Parker to connect people through original artwork. To participate, artists of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to draw a picture, hide it somewhere in their community, take a photo of the art or the hiding spot, and post the image and a hint on social media so someone else can find the work. Instead of social media, the middle-schoolers used the educational video sharing app Flipgrid to share their locations with each other.

“This project was driven by the need to connect with others during this pandemic,” said CMS art teacher Traci Rovinsky. “I wanted students to remember that artwork can inspire others and that small acts can make a difference. It also gives students a chance to have a voice and say things that they need to say.”

Eighth grader Alexis Mangat created a piece of art based on the quote “Kindness is like a seed, that when cultivated will grow and grow and grow.” She hid her work in a school playground near her house.

“My neighborhood is full of little kids, so if a student finds it or if a kid from my neighborhood finds it, I think it will brighten their day,” said Alexis.

All projects in the CMS Visual Art elective relate back to the purpose and importance of art by encouraging students to form their own definition of what art means to them.