LOVELOCK - Every year the VSA arts program presents a two or three-day art workshop at the Lovelock Elementary School. VSA provides special art classes for students, which are taught by professional artists who volunteer their time in the classroom.
One of the three volunteer artists was Winnemucca resident Teddy Swecker. She has been involved with VSA for 23 years. In addition to being an accomplished artist, Swecker is also a children's book author and illustrator. She has been part of the program in Lovelock for many years.
"Lovelock is a great little town and I love these kids," Swecker said about why she comes back year after year.
Her medium of choice is oil painting. She is the artist who created the mural in the Lovelock Elementary School. This year she chose charcoal to show the students how to draw cartoon characters and trees with shadows.
Another one of the art teachers is Orovada resident Sarah Frey. She has a BFA in printmaking and taught elementary classes in the Orovada school for many years.
"Children amaze me. Our rural communities are starving for art. The arts teach children how to problem solve and produces people who think outside the box. Many children who are exposed to the arts at an early age go on to be some of the world's great thinkers," Frey said.
She said she likes to mix mediums, and this year she taught students to draw a flowers and vase still life using chalk and white paint. This is her third year at the Lovelock school.
The third art teacher, Robin Robinson, came out from Reno. She has been a teaching and performing artist for 30 years. She studied art and dance at UNR and has performed with several modern and folk dance companies throughout Nevada and California.
Robinson presented an armature class where the students learned to make a person out of wire and beads. She followed the armature class with a creative movement class. The students took turns counting out three beats on a small drum, and then forming shapes with their bodies that she would call out.
"They love this part," Robinson said of the creative movement portion of her class.
All the children seemed to enjoy the special art treat. While working at the still life table, third grader Brandon Nmeitia commented, "This is awesome."
"It's nice and messy," Fatima Ayala said.[[In-content Ad]]
