After struggling to overcome unoriginal thinking and truncated technical skills, the last challenge facing my art students is a lack of access to quality materials. Specifically, my young artists are desperate to work on canvases, which is where y'all come in!
Every day, my students face challenges that I only ever read about in high school.
Incredibly, however, I often find myself forgetting about the poverty with which they and their families struggle because of the joy and the enthusiasm they bring to their work in my class. Although they are generally unable to bring any material resources into my room, they come each day with bottomless creativity and passion. As long as they continue to approach art with excitement and joy, they deserve to have access to the same kinds of physical materials as individuals born into different socioeconomic circumstances (such as myself).
My Project
When I was a high school art student, I was taught how to stretch and prime my own canvases. I had limitless options available to me and zero restrictions; if I could envision it, I could create it. Conversely, canvases were so foreign to my students when I first introduced them last year (via another DonorsChoose project), many are still unsure as what to call their new favorite art material. Every day, I hear countless requests for more canvases in various sizes, and the looks of disappointment when I cannot immediately direct a student to a canvas supply cabinet (like the one I used in high school) are truly heartbreaking. My students love to create and explore and the added thrill of using real artist supplies is palpable. Although my ultimate goal is create a canvas station identical to the one I used in high school, my students cannot wait another minute!
By donating to this project, you will not only be providing materials that my student desperately need and deserve, but you will be investing in their educational and their personal growth.
Your financial and symbolic investment means more to my students then you will ever know; they deeply appreciate anything you can give.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. McCormick and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.