Art Abounds at Grahamwood

Grahamwood Elementary’s Optional program focuses on Enriched Academics with an emphasis on Creative Arts. As a result, there is a constant cross curricular blending of the school’s art program and core instruction. This was never more evident than in a recent collaboration between local artist/parent Yancy Villa-Calvo, Memphis 3.0, and Grahamwood’s art teacher Livia Carboni. Memphis 3.0 is the strategic planning group designing the look of development and growth for our city.

Keeping this in mind, Ms. Carboni and Ms. Villa-Calvo collaborated to help students apply learned concepts to real-life by having them research and map-out what their ideal community would look like. The students drew playgrounds, libraries, schools, pavilions, stores, gardens, dog parks, and so much more. The artists then transferred the students’ drawings on to ceramic in creating vases, pitcher and glasses. These were then showcased at a school art event for all the community to see how each element intersected.

“We started by brainstorming what a neighborhood is and then, moved the idea into how neighborhoods create community,” stated Ms. Carboni. “We are really proud of the kids. They were both creative and innovative in thinking outside the box!”