Bank displays art by Grant students

Students from Grant Elementary School will have their artwork on display at Boone County National Bank through Wednesday, when the end of the exhibit will coincide with their last day of school.

The 12 works, in a variety of media, have hung in the bank’s lobby gallery since May 1.

zUpon their return to Grant, they will remain in a permanent display in the school’s “Hall of Fame.”

For the past 13 years, Grant and Boone County National have worked together in Partners in Education to bring representative student artwork to a larger audience. Each winter, a committee at Grant made up of teachers and the principal begins a selection for the two pieces from each grade level that will make up the exhibition. The bank covers the cost and labor of framing and matting each work.

“City of Flowers,” a pencil drawing of hibiscus by Marie Fulcher, 11, was selected as an outstanding fifth-grade piece.

Marie has been drawing flowers since kindergarten and has a keen understanding of the impressions that may be conveyed by a work of art.

“My picture isn’t a happy type of picture — for me it felt dramatic,” Marie said. “The colors are very dark, but it has a red background.”

Kara Hicks, Boone County National’s in-house arts curator, said the bank has long been a supporter of community arts. “I couldn’t imagine these walls being bare,” Hicks said.

Principal Beverly Borduin stressed the importance of promoting the arts in education.

“This student artwork is done so well,” Borduin said. “To me, it’s as precious as the most famous artist’s.”