Learning how to think like an artist

ight, sixth grade art club members pose with the books they recently made. First row, from left, Parker O'toole, Chesney Latta, Amalia Almanza, Paige Bopp, Krysta Henning. Back, art teacher, Deb Goodenberger, Kailynn Rodewald, Katence Matthews, Brenna Carner, Timothy Troxel, Dylan Harvie. March has been designated as Youth Art Month. Lorri Sughroue/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. -- Artists have known this for years, but others are finally catching on: art is more than a skill, it's a way of thinking.

That's why art classes are vital to students, said Deb Goodenberger, art teacher at McCook Elementary, Central Elementary and the junior high.

"CEOs are looking for creative thinkers, those who can think outside the box, problem solve," she said.

Krysta Henning, from left and Paige Bopp work on embellishing a trash receptacle during art club. Lorri Sughroue/McCook Gazette

Goodenberger helps her students do that in a variety of ways, incorporating "21st century" skills such as creativity and project-based skills.

This begins in the elementary grades, where Goodenberger introduces "artistic behaviors" with several art centers in her art room. Kids choose the center they want to use, like painting or drawing, and those artistic behaviors are reinforced, such as being a good observer, envisioning the finished project and to engage and persist, when the student is encouraged to never give up and complete the project.

Students at McCook Elementary have art class twice a week and at Central Elementary, every other week. Seventh and eighth graders at the junior high have art as an exploratory class for five sessions.

As sixth grade students do not have art as a class, for the past 10 years Goodenberger has been offering after-school art club to keep creative minds percolating. It's been appreciated by the students.

"We get a chance to express our feelings in art," said one member, Paige Bopp. They are also allowed to express themselves more freely. "We're all a little different and we don't get made fun of in here," said another student.

Members have done a variety of projects, such as painting a trash receptacle at the request of a teacher, making a poster on bullying and more recently, making books.

This project and another one at Central Elementary was funded by $200 by the McCook Arts Council. The book project was inspired by the recent Sheldon Statewide traveling art exhibit, "The Romance of the Moon, Science Fiction Invades Art," where artists viewed the future. Art club members wrote and illustrated stories relating to the moon, using actual book binding material and old maps as covers.

Fine art standards by the state became mandatory last year, but these standards are not assessed. Still, it's a step in the right direction, Goodenberger believes, as art is more than just drawing a landscape or taking a picture, but a set of critical thinking skills that can be honed for all areas of life.

"The world is changing and people who can be innovative are the ones making the future," she said.

As one of the greatest thinkers of all time, Albert Einstein, said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."