Eighth-graders’ art showcased at Marshfield: Past, Present, and Future Exhibit

By Eric Nelson

Art Educator

The Marshfield: Past, Present, and Future Exhibit located in the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library entryway showcase and on the show walls through May 28 is the product of 143 eighth-grade students from Marshfield Middle School. The students were challenged to think of our community through three lenses.

One lens was the “Past.” By studying the past, students gain understanding that their own community changes. From the student artwork, one sees that our city is unique in that so many quality structures have been preserved and repurposed. This dedication is evident in the delight of students and our community.

The second lens was the “Present,” through which our students looked to what we currently have. At the middle school, students have iPads that have enabled them to collect first source information. The students used these devices to examine reference photographs from which to work. These same devices were also used to research historic images from the North Wood County Historical Society’s extensive databases. By studying the past and present, our students gain insight into current conditions in Marshfield and our city’s evolution.

The third and final lens was the “Future.” By studying how things were and how they are, the students now understand that change is continual. This “focus” of their drawings is very telling for the leaders of our community. The students seem to predict the large-scale building and civic projects of our community. In essence, the students begin to assume the roles that our current leaders must balance: desires versus need. Very adult thoughts for 13- and 14-year-old students.

The students were also challenged to use different art techniques to create depth in their images. Depth can be created with overlapping, 3D forms, the use of scale, perspective, foreground-middle-background relationships, and atmospheric perspective. The use of texture, crosshatching, shading, and color were also used to complete the works. The wide-ranging work reflects the many abilities of the students at the Marshfield Middle School.

During the May 11 artists’ reception, 10 different civic groups presented awards to the students whose artwork fulfilled the mission of their organizations. It was interesting to note how the judges carefully looked at each work for the story within.