Forty-two student artists from Cape Elizabeth Middle School were honored on December 10, 2019 in the Hall of Flags of the Maine State House in Augusta as part of the Maine Arts Showcase celebration.
The students were each awarded a certificate from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and a letter from Governor Janet T. Mills for their outstanding artwork that is currently on display at the Maine DOE.
The Maine Arts Showcase is a program of the Maine DOE that displays the artwork of Maine students in the halls of the Maine DOE in a series of exhibits throughout the year. The program and the celebration event serve as a way for the Department to celebrate arts education in Maine and give Maine students the opportunity to have an impact with their art outside the walls of their own schools.
“The process of making art is where all the ‘hard work’ happens,” said Maine DOE Visual and Performing Arts Specialist Jason Anderson in his opening remarks at the event. “The displaying of artwork is where we (as artists) get to sit back, take it in, and hear how the work affects others. For many students, making art is the activity where they feel the most creative and engaged with their world,” he added.
Maine DOE Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta also spoke at the event to congratulate the students, and thank everyone for coming including educators, students and their families, and arts education supporters. During his remarks he took note of the important work of arts educators across the state in their efforts to provide quality arts education programming to Maine students. “In addition to promoting creativity, involvement in the arts helps students build the important skills of problem solving, collaboration, and perseverance.”
Also in attendance at the event was Cape Elizabeth Middle School Art Teacher and 2004 Maine Teacher of the Year Marguerite Lawler-Roher, Cape Elizabeth Middle School Principal Troy Eastman, and Cape Elizabeth Superintendent Donna Wolfrom, along with Maine State Board of Education Chairman Wilson Hess, and Senator Rebecca Millet from Maine’s 29th District, representing South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, and part of Scarborough.
Following the awards ceremony, students, educators, and family members were invited to the Maine Department of Education to tour the facility and find their artwork on the wall. The artwork has been on display since October 2019 and will be up until February 2020.