In early November, a unique collaboration arose between a Riverside Public School (RPS) Junior and Senior Kindergarten class and a Huntsville High School (HHS) Grade 11 ceramics class.
The Kindergarten students were tasked with imagining themselves as elves and creating elf drawings in their likeness. Those pictures were then sent to the ceramics class, where the high school students worked for several weeks to transform the kinders’ elf ideas into 3D ceramic models!
Together with their teacher, the high school students sent updates and an informative slideshow, introducing themselves and sharing the process involved in making the ceramic creations. Kindergarten students learned about the tools used to shape and mold the clay, as well as details about the origins of clay and the kiln used to fire the clay to 1,000 degrees to turn it into ceramic.
The elves arrived painted for the Kindergarten students to take home for the holidays.
“What a treat to see their drawings come to life through ceramic art,” said RPS Junior and Senior Kindergarten teacher, Kendra Lane. “Students, families, and teachers alike have recognized the transformative impacts of this creative, teamwork project, which demonstrates how vital art is in education.
This remarkable collaboration, spanning across age groups, is the second of its kind. A similar collaboration took place in May 2024 had students creating drawings of themselves as monsters, which were also artistically turned into 3D ceramic pieces.
