Daily Dunklin Democrat: Local News: An artistic challenge (10/14/12)

Staff photo by Chris Kaiser A colorful collage based on Joyce Vanderpool's art challenge hangs at Kennett National Bank.

Mrs. Joyce Vanderpool, art teacher at South Elementary School in Kennett, has recently challenged her fourth grade classes to use a lettering style that was new to their fingers, rearrange the letters of their names, and to explore the use of background line designs to give interest and visual definition to their personal identity markers.

According to Vanderpool, from the beginning of their school careers, these students have learned to write their name as a way to identify themselves and their work. The individually unique and revealing results can be viewed on a display in the lobby of the Kennett National Bank main branch, over the next few weeks, during regular banking hours. Mrs. Vanderpool advises parents to see if they can discover their student's work in the display by viewing them all from a distance and picking out theirs by sensing the Childs personality.

If that does not work, try finding the name of the student at the bottom of the work, then stand back to see if you realize their personal touch to the art piece. Either way, Mrs. Vanderpool encourages parents and community members to enjoy the experience of the diverse ways in which these fourth grade children view themselves and how they have chosen to display those feelings.

"Art is always a window to the soul no matter what the age or level of experience of the artist and their is plenty to see of these wonderful young students from South Elementary School.