Mosaic festival draws crowd
Student artwork showcased
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Clinton Elementary School art teacher Allison Swanner, left, and Alyssa Bowlin, art teacher at North and South Clinton elementary schools, look over some of the artwork created by their pupils on display last Saturday at the Clinton Community Center during the Mosaic Arts Festival. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Nolan Myers, 9, shows her artwork to her mother, Cheryl Myers, and brother Morgen My- ers during the Mosaic Arts Festival last Saturday at the Clinton Community Center. She is a student at South Clinton Elementary School. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Maverick Cole, 8, a student at South Clinton Elementary School, points out his original artwork on display at the Clinton Community Center on Saturday to his mom, Taylor Cole, and big brother Kenton Cole, 11. - G. Chambers Williams III
Artwork created by each of the 950 pupils in Clinton’s three elementary schools covered display boards throughout the Clinton Community Center last Saturday during the fifth-annual Mosaic Arts Festival.
Art teachers Allison Swanner of Clinton Elementary School and Alyssa Bowlin of North and South Clinton elementary schools were on hand to oversee the event as visitors poured into the center to view the posted art.
“Each grade was responsible for a continent, with seven grade levels, and each class had a country from that continent to produce art representing a contemporary artist in that country,” Swanner said.
The students had to learn about the artist from each of those countries, and produce a work of art that was representative of each particular artist’s work.
Displays throughout the exhibit room were grouped by continent, and began with New York International Airport, Swanner said.
Outside the Community Center, there were arts and crafts booths in the parking lot across South Hicks Street, next to the Clinton Public Library.
Public performances by various groups, including the Clinton High School Jazz Band, Knoxville Children’s Theatre, Dream Dance Studio and more, were held on South Hicks Street, which was closed to vehicular traffic during the event.
Inside the library, there were craft activities for kids, and in the parking lot outside, there was a petting zoo with lambs from Chitwood Farm, an array of food trucks and kiosks, and the Townie Turtle art installation and storybook trail.
The Mosaic Color Run kicked off the event, beginning at 9 a.m. from Clinton’s Lakefront Park. The rest of the event was held on South Hicks Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Each year, the Mosaic Arts Festival is presented by Historic Downtown Clinton in conjunction with the city of Clinton and Clinton City Schools.
