Students who stopped by the third annual event were able to paint on a welcome sign that will be displayed at the start of next school year.

They could also leave encouraging notes at a station called “Fan Mail.”

And parents and students both tried their hand at a weaving project in the corner of the school gym.

“I wanted to have a few things people could do together,” said Lindsey Stephan, the school’s art instructor. “A few different ways for people to participate.”

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Andrew Heath, 7, a first-grade student at Community Christian School, poses next to an Andy Warhol-inspired soup can art project completed by seventh-and-eighth graders at CCS. The piece is made from recycled products such as bottle lids and beads.

Stephan has taught at the school since the art program was introduced three years ago.

She’s been pleased with how far students have come.

“It’s been fun to see them build skills year after year,” Stephan said. “Building on their techniques and recognizing artists we did last year. It’s fun to see them get excited over using new materials — clay or paint.”

Seventh-and-eighth graders continued a familiar theme at the school, using recycled materials to create art.

They made a Campbell’s tomato soup can inspired by artist Andy Warhol.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Jose Aguilar, 6, left, and Fia Hill, 6, both kindergarten students at Community Christian School, add some color to a welcome back poster during the school’s annual art show Thursday afternoon.

It was made using things like bottle caps, game pieces from a thrift store, and beads.

“They studied Andy Warhol and mimicked his masterpiece,” Stephan said.

Fifth-and-sixth graders created a color wheel with overlapping circles. They mixed all 12 colors by starting only with the three primary colors, Stephan said.

Third-and-fourth graders learned about the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. They made watercolors inspired by his Great Wave painting.

Second-graders drew cardinals inspired by artist Charley Harper.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
A student sample of Charley Harper Cardinals is shown here.

First-graders learned about shapes and lines and cut out some of their favorite shapes.

Kindergarten students learned about texture and did some texture rubbings on big paper. Then they cut snakes out of their rubbings and learned how to weave by cutting their own grass (loom) and making their snakes slither through the grass.

Stephan’s class sizes vary. Her smallest class size is seven students. Her largest class size is 16.

She enjoys being able to have one-on-one time with students.

“Small classes are great,” Stephan said. “That doesn’t necessarily change what I teach, though.”