BETHLEHEM TWP. ‒ Fifth graders at Fairless Elementary School are keeping the history of Navarre alive through art.
Art teacher Jenny Best led the students in creating 6-by-11 acrylic paintings to adorn a two-dimensional, 16-foot canal boat at Navarre-Bethlehem Township Park, 8201 Hudson Drive SW.
The 93 pictures include historic buildings in the Navarre area such as the J.D. Define House at the corner of Canal and Market Streets. The house is said to be the site of President William McKinley's first lawsuit. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Other pictures include Village Hall, the school emblems for the Navarre Rams and the Fairless Falcons, and the former stoneware building on Ohio Street near the train depot.
Best, named Ohio Department of Education 2024 State Board of Education District Teacher of the Year for District 8 last summer, secured a grant through the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation. The foundation invests in projects that have a lasting impact on students' growth and learning, and recognizes the excellence of teachers who have demonstrated outstanding work.
The grant funding allowed Best to work with university faculty to research if art can connect a person to their community.
The answer is yes, Best said.
"Our research found that it connected us in many ways," the art teacher said.
Her research led her to the community art installation with the fifth graders. Recently, the students spent the day at the park for the installation of their artwork to the canal boat as well as a color scavenger hunt, Navarre trivia and a talk about native plants, mammals and birds.
Best is doing something special in the classroom
Rick Breault, the Ashland University professor teaming up with Best in her research, was impressed with her practices in the classroom and the student artwork.
"What Jenny is doing in the classroom is unusual at this age level," said Breault, a professor in the Ashland teacher education program. "We started visiting the classroom and the product looks good. The students were so into it and they were self-directed. You don't often see that."
He met with the students to talk about art and the importance of the community art project.
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It was evident the fifth graders enjoyed the art project, Breault added.
Through her research, Best visited many outdoor art installations. At one installation, she got the idea to bring another dimension to the planned art installation — a game challenging visitors to find different items in the pictures. For instance, the clue might be you can ride on it. Visitors can search the artwork to look for forms of transportation.
With some help from the Navarre Bethlehem Historical Society, students selected a picture of area landmarks to recreate.
Students then used carbon paper to trace the photos before using acrylic paint to finish the painting.
Kaylee Ohler, 11, was afraid the project would be challenging but it proved to be a lot of fun.
Classmate Autumn Treisch agreed.
"It was a lot of work and hard work but it was a lot of fun," the 11-year-old said as she prepared to have her artwork of village hall hung up.
Brantley Davis, 11, enjoyed the project.
"We are going to leave our mark in the community," he said. "My art will always be in the park."
The project has been a community effort, Best said, adding the historical society and the park board have been behind the project from day one.
Vicki Owen-Merry, a park board member, said it was great for the kids to get involved and enjoy the park.
"Now they will also have an interactive piece of our town's history," she said.
Park board member Liz Urbach wrote in an email it was an amazing project for children to participate in while experiencing nature.
"As an educator in language arts, history and art are a huge connection and tie to culture," she wrote. "They have an amazing teacher and this should be a core memory that lasts a lifetime and hopefully impacts them in a way where community involvement, art and history continue to grow in their education and life around them."
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.
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