Andes Central has opened its doors to the community, offering art sessions every Wednesday and Friday from now until March 14th. Not only does it fall in line with the school-wide improvement goals of building relationships and having more community involvement, but it can be a great activity for Andes Central District parents and students to enjoy together.

As the Andes Central K-12 art teacher, when Justus first started teaching there were people that reached out to him asking if he could open his art room to members of the community as they were interested in making ceramics. Justus was able to find some funding for the project and tried the initial open community sessions for a year. The inaugural project went well, but the following year it came to a standstill. Reviving the community art sessions was always something that Justus wanted to do, so when they moved into the new building, Justus decided it was the right time.

With the support of the Andes Central School District school board and administration, art sessions usually start around the third week in October with two sessions per week. The art sessions give community members an opportunity to come into the art room and experiment with different types of art mediums. People do not need to bring their own supplies to the sessions. Thanks to donations from last year’s group, there is a small budget available for any materials that are depleted. When asked what kinds of different art mediums are available for those that come to the open art sessions, Justus’s reply was “there’s not a lot I don’t have.” There are the expected, standard art supplies, but Justus also has six sewing machines and supplies, large fabric cutting matts, beading supplies, and more.

Attendees can bring current art projects that they are working on at home or try something completely new. Just as Justus is with his students, he supports choices and encourages individuals to create with what speaks to them. Justus is the primary resource for the art sessions. He has 20 years of experience teaching multiple projects at once as well as 20 years of teaching various art projects. He is able to teach all the way through assemblage sculpture, meaning someone could literally bring in the kitchen sink and turn it into a sculpture. As there is not much that stumps him, he is always up for a challenge and when someone does have more experience in an art area than he does, Justus enjoys the genuine exchange of ideas that he can have with that person. One of the most interesting experiences of these sessions is when the group has multiple people with diverse art experience in the same room; it leads to an exchange of ideas and knowledge beyond Justus’s own.

The art sessions are family friendly which is why Justus held off offering classes until moving into the new building. The new building is much better equipped to host a multitude of age groups in the same room. The hope behind offering these types of classes is that it is a good way to provide resources as well as the sharing of knowledge and a space for people to create. “Big picture though, we tend to see each other a little better when we share in the process of creating,' Justus shared.

Even though it has not been an issue to date, Justus tries to keep the sessions to around twenty people. Should the demand rise past that capacity, the preference would be given to parents/guardians of students within the school district.

With the hopes that this will become a well-received and attended cold weather activity, who knows what this could become or the possibilities it holds. Maybe even one day at the close of the seasonal sessions, there could be a community art showcase. What better way to recognize and appreciate the talents of both Andes Central students and community members?!