Special to NKyTribune
What started out as a field trip for Beechwood’s kindergartners to the Fort Mitchell Fire Department quickly turned into a community collaboration and a colorful art project.
Upon their return to Beechwood, the kindergarten teachers noted how bare the walls of the fire department were.
After hearing this, Beechwood Elementary School art teacher, Sharon Mitchell, decided to work with her fifth grade class to add a little more color to the firehouse.
Over the course of several weeks, the fifth graders painted and drew two canvases with the help of Mitchell. Once the pieces were complete, the art class arranged for a trip back to the fire department in order to present the firefighters with their work.
“Our Fort Mitchell firefighters are very dependable and helpful and we wanted to recognize and thank them,” said fifth grade student Ryon Argo.
Students were able to not only present the Fort Mitchell firefighters with the new artwork, but were also allowed to tour the fire department. There they saw the training room, in which their canvases would hang, as well as the fire trucks, the cameras firemen use to detect heat, and even the fire department’s mascot dog, Spanner.
The art project didn’t end there, however. Mitchell wanted to ensure the firefighters of Fort Mitchell would always have new artwork to look at and decorate their walls with. Every month she swaps out current pieces hanging on the department’s walls with four new art pieces, all created by Beechwood students.
“Overall I think our trip to the fire department was a success,” said fifth grade student Mya Johnson. “We gave the firemen paintings, got a tour of the department, got to meet the mascot, and most importantly were able to honor the firemen.”
