STEAM

STEAMM STEAMM Students Take First and Second Place in Stark Parks “The Great Trash to Treasure Hunt Upcycled Art Contest”

STEAMM Students fared well in the Stark Parks “The Great Trash to Treasure Hunt Upcycled Art Contest.” Students were challenged by art teacher Kathy Pugh to construct a piece of art using recyclable materials. They were allowed to use glue, tape and/or string to hold their piece together. The art was allowed to be a sculpture or a functional piece of art, as long as it was creative. This is a yearly competition for Coach Pugh’s art students. Eighth grade student Za’Nya Williams took first place in the grades 6 - 8 category, while seventh grade student De’Jhone Barnes took second place in the same category. The fashionista pair of Za’Raye Watson and Roussion Medlock took second place in the classroom competition, which allowed for a small group of students to work on the same project. Students in Coach Pugh’s art class look forward to the competition each year. De’Jhone loves to draw architecture and was excited to get to build a house for this project. He said, “building the furniture inside was [his] favorite part because [he] really likes to do stuff like that.” When asked which part of the project likely caused him to win, he responded, “the stairs really make the house pop.” Although De’Jhone is celebrating his

win this year, he is already thinking about his submission for next year. He wouldn’t share details, but he does say it’s going to be even bigger and better than this year’s project. When asked how they decided to make a dress out of starburst wrappers, Roussion and Za’Raye said it started as store bags, but they thought that was too simple. They weren’t sure how many licks it takes … starburst wrappers the dress took to make, but it was a lot. Teachers helped them save wrappers by buying starbursts as treats for their students and then reminding students to save their wrappers. They admit, they couldn’t have eaten that many pieces of candy alone. “We had help from most of the school and even another school.” When asked what their favorite part of the project was, Za’Raye chuckled and said, “I’m not gonna lie, my favorite part was eating the starburst.” A bit more seriously, Roussion stated that, “creating the skirt was [her] favorite part.” They are both looking forward to participating again next year. Za’Nya’s self portrait of denim took her out of her comfort zone. The denim came in all different shades and shapes and it was a bit difficult to put it all together. When asked about the hard work that went into the project, Za’Nya reminisced, “I had never worked with jeans before and I was up at least two nights until 4 a.m. working on it.” Za’Nya was shocked to find out that she won first place in her grade category. Her response to the fame, “It feels good. I was surprised.” All of the artists interviewed for this story did not report being born with an innate skill. Although Za’Nya wanted to be an artist in elementary school, she admits that she has had to work hard at her skill. She wants to make sure others understand that anything is possible when you try and have a good person to support you. Za’Nya wanted to thank Coach Pugh for all her support. “Coach Pugh has a lot going on, she has an art gallery, is a teacher and everything, and that is so inspirational.” Although Za’Nya isn’t sure she wants to be an artist as a career anymore, she wants to be able to paint well enough to decorate her house and maybe sell a few paintings for money one day. Perhaps, she will be able to pay for her college education with art as a side hustle. In regard to what they want people to know about the experience, Roussion says that she wants people to know, “there is always a chance to do something.” Za’Raye adds, “Art doesn’t have to have a filter. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” STEAMM Academy at Hartford wishes to express gratitude to Stark Parks for holding this competition and taking the time to recognize our budding artists.

Za’Nya Williams (Eighth grade)- self portrait made of denim on a recycled canvas Za’Rae Watson and Roussion Medlock (seventh Grade) - Starburst wrapper fashion design