East Fairview School Hosts An Artist In Residence & Art Show

East Fairview School had professional artist, Nicole Gagner, as an Artist-in-Residence, Jan. 16-19. East Fairview School is an elementary school on the North Dakota side of Fairview.

Gagner was there from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day and taught a one-hour session for each grade in the cafeteria. Kindergarteners to eighth graders enjoyed learning from her expertise. The school held an Art Show Open House in their cafeteria on Thursday from 4-6 p.m. to showcase the student's resulting artwork. Students enjoyed sharing their new pieces of art with parents, grandparents, and community members. According to Melissa Elletson, East Fairview School business manager, "This is a great program partially funded by the North Dakota Council on the Arts. We are thankful to have been awarded the Artist in Residence Grant again this year. Our students and staff have really enjoyed this week. The best part of the program is seeing students excited to learn and experience new techniques." According to the North Dakota Council on the Arts website, http://www.arts.nd.gov, Gagner is a professional painter from Bismarck. She believes that art can and should be accessible to everyone, especially children. She participates in the Artist in Residence Program offered by the North Dakota Council on the Arts. In order for her to come the staff of East Fairview had to apply for a grant through the council for this event.

The council's website says, "The North Dakota Council on the Arts is a service and program agency of the state, established in 1967 by state Legislature to 'to ensure that the role of the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and will play an ever more significant part in the welfare and educational experience of our citizens.' Our purpose is to bring that commitment to life." As of late September 2022, over $900,000 was awarded by the Council in ten different grant programs in just that year.