What do you get when you mix art and science together?

• William Kelley Elementary Students

Students from William Kelley Elementary enjoy a day of art mixed with science. Submitted photo
• Sandi Pillsbury Grezdens

Students work with Sandi Pillsbury Grezdens in an outdoors classrooms combining science and art during the artist-in-residence program at William Kelley Elementary in Silver Bay. Submitted photo

Talk about it

Students in Silver Bay mixed art and science this fall as part of the annual artist-in-residency with Sandi Pillsbury Grezdens.

Artwork from the school forest will be on display during conferences next week at William Kelley Elementary.

Students in kindergarten through sixth grade worked with artist Pillsbury Gredzens. It’s her third year of sharing her 40 years of artistic expertise with the students.

She’ll be in the Two Harbors schools this winter.

Students used their science curriculum to create artwork from observances in the field. “We were all hoping for good weather,” Pillsbury Grezdens said. Unfortunately, October brought more rain than sunshine, leading to two indoors days that proved useful.

When rain held, students were bussed to the school forest site. Kindergarteners focused on trees, first-graders on insects and plants, second graders on plants, third-graders on leaves and textures, fourth-graders on flowers and plants, fifth-graders on birth trees, and sixth-graders on landscapes.

The Northern Lake County Arts Board wrote a grant to secure the Silver Bay residency through the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation. Mary Aijala, a board member, was instrumental in securing the grant. She worked with the artist, along with other volunteers, to help in the adventure.

One of the rainout days led to a visit with the “Butterfly Man” from Duluth. Students had been studying monarchs through science classes. “Their drawings of butterflies were some of the best drawings have seen during this residency,” Pillsbury Grezdens said. “I know it was, in part, because of their recent experience with the monarchs.”

The students’ work will be on display during the parent-teacher conferences Wednesday through Thursday.

Tags: two harbors, silver bay, community, schools, art, science