Abilene ISD students across the district experienced Big Art Day in a variety of venues.

Here are just a few examples:

  • elementary students taking in classical music at the Abilene Convention Center;
  • high school students creating artwork at the Abilene Zoo;
  • middle school students creating art with sidewalk chalk on campus.

Big Art Day is an initiative by the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) to raise awareness of art education and art as a creative force in communities across the state. The TEAA’s goal with Big Art Day is to engage all educators, their students and communities in a single-day art event.

Abilene ISD Coordinator of Fine Arts, Brady Sloane-Duncan, directed the district’s efforts Thursday with students at Stafford and Ward elementary schools, Clack, Craig and Madison middle schools and Abilene High School and Cooper High School participating in the event.

“Big Art Day is an exciting state-wide event that showcases the importance of visual arts in schools,” Sloane-Duncan said. “The AISD hosted eight events around the district that ranged from large to small. But what we’ve learned is that no event is too large or too small on Big Art Day. The day always gives art educators and their students a way to share what they do with their campuses and beyond. We are delighted to showcase the talent and variety of ideas our teachers had to make the day a success.”

At Stafford, students were able to go to several different stations set up in the gym for all grade levels. At Ward, students were instructed to “Drop Everything and Create!” Clack students created art ties that will be photographed with campus administration and teachers to show support for the visual arts. Pre-AP classes at Craig created art with sidewalk chalk outside of the school campuses while other classes explored pointillism in painting.

At Madison, students used their choice of media (paint, markers, colored pencils, etc.) to color in a patterned template using the school’s colors of blue and orange. The papers were then assembled and united with the outlined of a Bison (school mascot) on top. The artwork will be displayed in the hallway at the school.

Abilene High students took a field trip to the Abilene Zoo to create drawings and paintings en plein air (painting outdoors). And at Cooper, students demonstrated wheel throwing in the school courtyard.

In addition, hundreds of elementary students attending Wednesday’s two performances by the Abilene Philharmonic at the Abilene Convention Center. In addition, artwork created, designed, painted and eventually installed by AISD students, art teachers, and employees in facilities was unveiled as the new mural at the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame at the Mall of Abilene.