Blackshear Elementary School’s (BES) winning entry used marker tops and crayons to create the letters making up the school’s name in a mixed media piece which tied for first place in the National Colonial Dames of Georgia’s “My Place” Project.
An art competition designed to promote civic awareness and patriotic values among students. the idea for the project had been brewing with BES art teacher Haley Ragsdale for some time, collecting and saving a variety of colorful marker tops for a special moment.
“I have heard the question, ‘Mrs. Haley, what are you going to do with all of those marker tops?’ about 100 times,” Ragsdale recalls. The time finally came and this year, the students would work together to create something unique to represent their school.
“We talked about our school and all the neat things we do here. I wanted to use a different type of medium to really make our creation stand out,” says Ragsdale. “I had been collecting marker tops and decided to use them with our My Place Project this year.”
Students were given an 8x10 canvas board. They were each assigned a letter. The goal was to spell Blackshear Elementary only using the marker tops and a unique design and pattern that each student chose to do within his or her canvas board.
“They only used black to create the letters and then other colors for their background. There were a few spaces where they used black crayon pieces to fill in. They loved getting to glue the pieces to create a design. They topped it off with a little bit of white glitter for the background,” says Ragsdale. “I loved that when the small pieces were put together, it created a whole. This is primarily what the My Place Project is about, coming together as a whole community.”
Ragsdale always tries to implement at least two or three collaborative projects with her students each year. “Collaborative art projects are a great way to promote community in the art room and throughout the school,” says Ragsdale. “Students learn to appreciate each other’s contributions and unique skills.”
Ragsdale’s unique idea combined with her students’ unique take on each letter paid off this year, earning the BES entry a tie for first place with Pierce County Middle School.
“I know the students are so proud to see this displayed proudly in the hallway of their amazing school!” says Ragsdale.
Blackshear Elementary’s colorful mixed-media entry to the National Colonial Dames of Georgia’s “My Place” competition.
Proud BES art teacher Haley Ragsdale (center) with (l-r) Laura Morris and Martha Fey of Colonial Dames.
