Rogers art students ponder graffiti
Art students at Rogers High School learned last week that art doesn’t happen only in museums.
Students in Tom Pettoello’s creative drawing class spent two mornings spraying graffiti on 6-foot-by-6-foot pieces of butcher paper taped to the walls outside the school.
The students looked at works of various graffiti artists from around the world before heading outdoors. Students were asked to create a design incorporating words with a picture and then draw their designs on paper first.
“Graffiti is an art form that is a part of the students’ lives, more than art that hangs in museums and may not be accessible to most of the students,” Pettoello said. “Students gained an appreciation for this art form and started to understand its complexity and social significance.”
The artwork will be displayed in the Rogers school library and likely in students’ bedrooms at home.
‘Coffee and Conversation’
The Spokane school board will be holding a series of meetings this year to help educate parents and the community about school funding issues.
Called “Coffee and Conversation,” the informal gatherings will happen before board meetings, usually held the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.
School officials have invited several community members and parents to the events, where small groups are assembled and each board member is assigned to a group to discuss topics related to the school budget.
The board hopes to educate the community about financial issues facing the district, including declining enrollment and unfunded state mandates, before next budget season, when cuts may be likely.
At a recent meeting at Mullan Road Elementary School, parent Mary Schrimshire noted that many parents and taxpayers are unaware of the requirements put on schools.
“High schools have to have six periods a day, but only five of them are funded by the state,” Schrimshire said. “As a parent, we don’t know those things. If we can be more aware of where the money goes and how it’s being distributed, we can support our schools better.”
Participants at the informal gatherings will receive an e-mail summary of the topics discussed each week.