I’m always curious this time of year to see what the teachers come up with for the art auction. On Monday I wandered through classrooms to see what was in the works. My expectations were far surpassed. What I found so interesting was that all of the pieces have some connection to nature, either through materials used or the content. Each one is a collaboration between the children and their teachers.
We originally started the art auction years ago as part of the Seed Scramble, our annual golf tournament. We ended up discontinuing the golf tournament, but the art auction remained. It’s one of my favorite Seed events. Each class contributes one or more pieces to the silent auction, and the art work is displayed for bidding for the whole week (next week, to be exact). Final bidding is held at the all-school picnic on Saturday. It’s a highly competitive moment, right before bidding ends. So here’s a preview of what you’ll see next week:
We have two pieces based on Eric Carle books, one with a lovely flower and the other featuring a most exquisite butterfly. Another class made a rainbow of colored beans, which have been carefully place on the backing to reveal a bright mandala-like flower. You’ll be astounded to note that tiny two- and three-year-old fingers placed most of those beans in place. Several other classes have incorporated playground sticks into their works of art. Some are painted and others plain, all in eye-catching arrangements and colors. Pressed flowers arranged between two panes of glass bring the natural world right inside the room.
Other projects included colorfully painted wood chips arranged into several designs for one group’s contributions. Another class needed the basketball court to handle the mess and complexity of their creation that will end up strung with lights. There will also be art made with actual sea shells and a wire tree with handmade beads. Needless to say, it is quite a collection.
This week I gave two tours of our school to visiting educators and prospective parents. With both groups I spoke at length about our emphasis on creativity and use of imagination at the Seed. Fortunately for them, they were able to witness it in action in the various rooms (and on the basketball court) as each class prepared its contribution to this year’s art auction. It was a delightful process that resulted in colorful, genuine expressions of Awakening Seed at its finest.