In addition to providing music education to schools, the Gold Canyon Arts Council provides art education and supplies through its “Leland Wilson Art Project.”

The project provides:

• A professional visual artist in residence, selected by Gold Canyon Arts Council, to work with art teachers and students in the Apache Junction Unified School District.
• Drawing, painting and design materials facilitating student participation in school or at home.

This year, Gold Canyon Arts Council donated $1,700 in art supplies to two schools through the effort of our two art project co-chairs, Kathy Mitchell, a retired art teacher, and Dr. Mary Stokrocki, professor of art at Arizona State University.

Kathy and Mary worked with art teachers at Apache Junction High School and Cactus Canyon Junior High School to determine needs and a wish list.

Kathy contacted Dr. Chris Lineberry, principal, and Taylour Freed, art teacher, of Apache Junction High School. She also contacted Principal Chad Cantrell and Allison Baumann, art teacher, of Cactus Canyon Junior High School. Both art teachers expressed that students needed basic drawing, painting and design materials such as sketch books, markers, colored pencils and watercolor sets with brushes and mixed media paper. Kathy and Mary then worked with Blick Art Supplies in Tempe and delivered the ordered art supplies to the schools in time for the second semester.

The donated art supplies will provide materials for 280-300 students. Both art teachers were pleased to receive them, saying “This is an incredible thing you are doing for the schools and our art departments. I am overwhelmed with appreciation”. Also, “this is wonderful and extremely helpful because I’m trying to navigate teaching art without having kids share supplies.”

Funds for this project were raised from Gold Canyon Arts Council’s education budget and sales from a recent arts and crafts fundraiser.

Editor’s note: Chuck Cuffaro is in charge of publicity for the Gold Canyon Arts Council. Go to goldcanyonarts.org.