Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson and Sippican Elementary School Acting Principal Doreen Lopes are pleased to share that Sippican students participated last week in the annual “Arts in Action” show.
The art show was held on April 10 and featured artwork created by students in grades K-6.
Approximately 800 pieces of art were displayed at the show with each student in grades K-6 having at least one piece chosen for display. Students in the sixth-grade Creative Collective group also had their self-directed pieces on exhibit. Their work included wheel-thrown ceramics, watercolor paintings and wire sculptures.
“Arts in Action 2024 is a wonderful Sippican tradition I’m proud to uphold,” said Art teacher Katie Kirk. “It’s the perfect way to showcase the many talents of our students from art to music and everything in between.”
During the event, younger attendees enjoyed a series of crafting table activities, including painting, weaving, creating sculptures and much more.
The cafeteria was also transformed into a café where students performed live music for guests. The performances were orchestrated by Band Director Hannah Moore. Both jazz bands and the concert choir were showcased, along with a variety of solo artists who performed instrumental song and dance routines. Attendees enjoyed a variety of soups, chilies and desserts during performances, provided by the school café.
“The Arts-in-Action cafe’ is a wonderful opportunity to share students’ talents in an informal environment,” said Moore. “We get to celebrate artistic talents that we often don’t get to see, including dance, karate, karaoke singing and more. We all get to share our unique talents and hard work with the community.”
“I’d like to thank Band Director Hannah Moore and Art Teacher Katie Kirk for organizing the performances and helping students successfully showcase their talents,” Lopes said. “It was great to see what the students have been working on during band rehearsals and in art class, and I’m proud of them for putting their talents on display for us to see.”
To wrap up the event, Volunteers at Sippican Elementary (V.A.S.E.) sponsored a visit from local illustrator Ralph Masiello, who hosted instructional drawing sessions for guests. Masiello created over 100 large-scale drawings with students and gave each of them to attendees.
“Arts in Action is a wonderful way for our students to demonstrate their talents for the community,” Nelson said. “We saw amazing musical performances, and I’d like to congratulate those who participated as well as thank the staff and volunteers who made the event possible.”