ART AFTER SCHOOL

Bailey Rust, left, assisted Sarah Schneider with an art project at Alma Schrader Elementary School.

Laura Tufts, left, and Jessica Tufts showed the quilt outside the school office which they helped to create with other members of the after-school art club.

May I stay after school today, Mom? Please, please, please?

Those aren't words we hear very often coming from today's students, but they are pretty common for the members of Alma Schrader's after school art club.

The art club, started by artist Andrea Schneider, creates projects that will be on permanent display at the school. Schneider heard about the art club her nephew was involved with in his school in Texas and she thought it would be a great idea to have something like that here.

"There are plenty of sports outlets for kids and other things they can do, but there aren't a lot of creative venues for them outside the classroom," said Schneider. "We have great art teachers," Schneider said, "but for those who want to do more I thought this would be a neat thing to do."

Schneider volunteers her time to the club and also brings in guest speakers to give students a better understanding of all types of art. She has had illustrators, architects, muralists, sculptors and quilters come to speak to the kids.

The club started last year with the 4th, 5th and 6th graders. They worked on a large mural which hangs in the main hallway. "Sixth graders who worked on the mural were excited that it would remain at the school because it was like leaving a little piece of themselves behind," said Schneider.

All of her children -- even Becky who's just in pre-school -- are involved with the art club. Alex Schneider worked on the mural last year. "I especially liked the mural because it shows what each one of us likes to do."

You don't just sign up for art club and come whenever you feel like it. Schneider said she wants the children to realize this is serious. There is an application process and each student who applies must submit some type of picture he or she has created. Her goal is to get the students to look at things in a new way. "I want them to look at things and then to look at them again."

Students working on this semester's project, flying people, seemed very enthusiastic about what they were doing. Laura Freeman said she looks forward to being able to create different things, while Bailey Rust enjoys seeing pictures of famous artwork and Crockette Leible just likes everything about art club.

Karen Brennan was especially enthusiastic about the club. "I joined up because I love art and I love making stuff and when I heard about this I wanted to do this right away."

Each project Schneider selects has a theme. Ideas are presented to the students and they vote on a project. Getting them to agree is often a problem she admits. "The flying people the students are working on now are to symbolize a spirit of what we can be, sort of a metaphor for letting your spirit go."

Parent volunteers are always welcome. Last semester's group consisted of first, second and third graders. They created a quilt which hangs outside the office. Each students used fabric paint to create his or her own square, then selected the material to go around the square and brought small charms, buttons etc. to attach to it.

Michelle Tufts, whose children are also actively involved, did the quilting to complete the project.

Schneider tries to keep the cost of the projects minimal. The PTA has helped to fund the projects but outside sources are sometimes needed too. Due to renovations planned for the school over the summer, next year's projects haven't been selected because the look of the school will determine exactly what is done.

Some ideas under consideration:

-- A tile mosaic

-- An animation film festival to be performed at an assembly

-- And even a totem pole formed from clay.