Heroic efforts Fourth-grade imaginations are on display at the Benton Public Library
For the month of February, nearly 100 works of art made by Benton Grade School fourth-graders have been on display at the Benton Public Library. The show includes nearly 40 comic books and nearly 60 sculptural works.
During the first half of the school year, fourth-graders at Benton Grade School have been exploring popular culture in their weekly art classes. Students created projects such as action figures, comic books and animated flip books to explore the art forms that share such a close connection to cartoons, graphic novels and toys.
In creating their action figures, students first considered the details of their characters' identities, such as their powers, weaknesses, friends and enemies. Once they had a fully colored sketch and character summary, students created a wire armature and applied air-dry clay over the wire to bring their ideas to life. Details and accessories were fashioned using fabric, found objects and art supplies - creating a fully realized hero (or villain) for their comic books!.
In creating their comic books, students introduced their characters by giving them snappy dialogue and an interesting setting. Students brainstormed problems in the world, picking the most appropriate problems for their characters to solve. Many students identified a nemesis behind the problem, making sure their character resolved the problem with a triumphant climax. This process helps students to demonstrate their understanding of story arcs and character development, while creating wonderful fiction for others to enjoy.
Participating artists include Isabelle Adams, Morgan Adams, Carly Atchison, Joshua Bautista-Powell, Brendon Bishop, Keegan Brown, Zaylee Cairns, December Carter, Bonnie Chen, Briella Clay, Madelyn Cockrum, Emaline Collins, Cole Copple, Aiden Cornelison, Daegan Dawson, Ryker Duncan, Keegan Eubanks, Caylee Fletcher, Chloe Fox, Cru Frailey, Kinley Glover, Landon Grimm, Lexi Hall, Kenley Hampton, Lukas Head, Talon Hughes, Karrigan Jay, Abraham Jerrells, Jadyn Jones, Lillian Jones, Trey Keelin, James Kennedy, Felicity Lenard, Kylee Letrent, Blayne Mabry, Gabrielle Martin, Edimar Martinez,Callie Mccann, Keaton Mccollum, Adalynn Mccormick, Dylan Melvin, Paxton Melvin, Jaden Mendez, Briggs Miller, Hannah Milles, Blake Morgan, Izzy Olson, Ryan Owens, Michael Parks, Vance Perry, Aria Phield, Mia Porter, Taylor Ray, Kamryn Robertson, Zacchaeus Rogers, Gabriel S., Kahle Scribner, Nicole Shafer, Whitlee Sheffer, Gaven Shuman, Logan Smith, Arieanna Snyder, Sara Sullivan, Sawyer Thomas, Braxton Tittle, Sawyer Vandom, Marlyna Walker, Aaden Webb, Jaycee Webb, Derek Wilkey and Annalise Williams.