Rebecca Burk / L’Observateur / May 13, 1998

RESERVE – Janine Ward, art instructor at East St. John High School, waspleased with the outcome of the Visually Talented Art Program exhibition held Thursday at the school.

The exhibition titled “A Look Inside the Creative Mind,” was well-planned.

Ward and the 30-plus student artists who displayed their art got busy beforehand sending scores of invitations to school board members, central office administrators, teachers, parents and classmates, many of whom showed up to view to exhibit.

“We’ve been packed all day,” Ward said. “Teachers have come by andbrought their classes. We’ve had parents, too. And some students havecome more than once.”Students proudly displayed artwork created with several mediums, including pencil, pen and ink, sculpture, chalk, oils and acrylics.

Superintendent Cleveland Farlough, who attended the exhibit, said he likes to see events like this in schools.

“This is what I want in our school system,” he said. “I want to see themdo more hands on stuff and let their creative mind come out. Educationisn’t just having something poured into people’s minds. It’s getting thatinner thing out.”The art show also gave Ward and her students a chance to show off their new, remodeled facility. The program was recently moved to another areaof the school next to the welding shop.

And Ward and her students have been making the most of their newly- found space by painting several beautiful murals on the walls. They alsohave plenty of room for their new kilns donated by Jeff Witlow, an East St.

John alumnus.

VTAP students who displayed their work in the show are Jennifer Addison, Aaron Anderson, Anthony Belvin, Erica Cook, Courtney Devare, Anthony Douglas, Justin Duhe, Clifton Dunn, Ashley Fallon, Brandon Fernandez, Melanie Grows, Neyer Grows, Matt Hale, Kevin Harvey, Darrelyn Jones, Phillip Ketchum, Dustin Kuhn, Travis LaBranche, Marilyn Lambert, Koi Magee, Michele Montz, David Napier, Ronnie Newman, Ashley Perilloux, Matt Roussel, Brook Simon, Randy Sutherland, Trumaine Ursin, Donnie Vinnetta, Joseph Wade and Randy Williams.

Senior artists are Nichole Ashton, John Sherman, Anthony Joseph, Michael Schaeffer, Carlos Diaz and Brian Slicker.

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