Non-profit online school, The Center for Educational Growth, will be hosting an art show to feature the work of some of their talented young student artists. The art show will be held at the Cane Roots Art Gallery in Christiansted town starting Thursday and will feature pieces from students in grades six to 12.
The Center for Educational Growth is an accredited, hybrid school that caters to students that do not fit into a brick-and-mortar style classroom. “The Center for Educational Growth help students get a high school diploma,” said Director Sandra Cannon. Students learn at their own pace and accelerate out of a high school diploma at their own pace. “Most of what we try to do at the school is make the students love learning,” she said.
Currently, the school has 25 students enrolled, and their goal is to increase by five students every year while keeping a small classroom setting of five to six students. The students do occasionally meet with teachers in person, but the majority of the classes are held virtually. Cannon said that not every student is fit for this learning environment and the accredited school meets the qualifications for students to be able to go to college or be a part of a trade school.
Some electives include photography, agriculture, and art. “We really wanted the public to see their talent,” said Cannon.
“This is an opportunity so that students can learn how to be an artist and what the art galleries expect as an artist,” she said.
The art on display will be for purchase and the contributions go towards a scholarship for the students to attend an art school after graduation.
The students have been developing and cultivating their art under the tutorage of former art teacher Sarah Mitchell. Pieces from the show will include creations in graphic, acrylic paints, watercolors, and charcoal pencil.
Mitchell worked with the students for the past three years and recently left the school for other opportunities but is anticipating her former students’ reveal and wishes she could be present. Started on a part-time basis, Mitchell said she began to help the students understand creative expression.
“Each child is dealing with a unique challenge, whether it’s in their home space or a developmental disability. Equipping them with the tools, like if you feel a certain way and do not feel comfortable expressing that verbally, art is an outlet for you to capture those feelings,” said Mitchell. “Helping them be able to identify ways that they can articulate themselves in a visual format to express what they are going through.”
Mitchel said that after conquering those concepts, it led them into heavier art history concepts. She also taught how art can be impactful and what it looks like to be a working artist.
Mitchell said that most of the students are high school students and discussing the business side of art is when the talk about doing the show began. The goal of the theme, “Fragments of a Human Experience,” was for them to capture the human experience, capturing a moment through their artwork or expressing an emotion that may be linked to a memory.
The Center for Educational Growth has made a concentrated effort to encourage students to embrace their creativity, and this event shows the students how valuable their time and work can be. Along with the donation from Heavy Materials, LLC and support for supplies from the V.I. Lottery for the students, the Cane Roots Art Gallery, which has housed some of the greatest local artwork, is also now giving these students the opportunity to embrace and see their talents on display.
The student’s art will be displayed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning from noon to 5 p.m.
