A sculpture is displayed in the Grades 4-6 category at the inaugural Diocese of Corpus Christi Catholic Schools Elementary and Middle Level Art Show on April 27. The show contained art from Catholic schools across the diocese in a variety of mediums.
Jennifer Branson, South Texas Catholic
“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. It is beauty, like truth, which brings joy to the heart of man and is that precious fruit which resists the wear and tear of time, which unites generations and makes them share things in admiration.”
– Pope Saint Paul VI address to artists at the end of the Second Vatican Council
The show itself was born of her imagination. Sister Springs, IWBS said she felt that Catholic elementary and middle school did not have an outlet to express their fine arts talent. “I wanted all of the Catholic schools in our diocese to have the opportunity to showcase their talents in art,” she said. An art show seemed like the perfect setting to display the art without the pressure of competition.
Art was displayed according to grade level and medium, covering the bleachers, walls, and tables of the Incarnate Word Academy Elementary gymnasium. There were pieces in pencil, both color and black and white, paintings, sculpture, and mixed media art. Each piece showcased the creativity and unique view of the student that created it – some were funny, others warm and friendly, and yet others the product of contemplation of God and nature.
Families streamed in steadily to view the artwork. Andrew Gibson, a fourth grader at Incarnate Word Academy, was especially excited to see his colored pencil rendition of a shark on display. In fact, he couldn’t get there fast enough after his baseball game. His mother, Genevieve Gibson, related that when she told him that he was going to have his artwork in a show, he exclaimed, “Are you serious?” She is grateful for the confidence the art show has given her son, who has been drawing since he could pick up a pencil. “I am very proud – this will keep him going,” she said.
Rosemary Henry, Superintendent of Schools for the diocese, stopped by the show as well. She was excited to see the great work of the students, as she understands the importance of the arts in Catholic education. “I’m grateful to Sister Marilyn for the opportunity to have this show,” she said. “The fine arts are so important in the development of the whole child.”
The enthusiasm of the children and the dedication of the educators certainly came through in the art displayed at the show. Dominique Damian, middle school Art teacher at Incarnate Word Academy, said that she could definitely see a lot of future artists. “I’m excited because this is the first time the elementary and middle school art has been showcased,” she said. “I would like to see this grow.”
Pope Saint John Paul II, in his “Letter to Artists” concludes that beauty “is an invitation to savor life and to dream of the future.” A mid-afternoon spent in an elementary school gym may have done just that for those able to attend the show and perhaps Sister Springs even found her new favorite place to admire art.