A group of students at Sheridan Elementary School have been exploring their artistic abilities on Monday afternoons.

Catherine Swanson heard that Communities in Schools of Tacoma was looking for volunteers for an after-school art project. She spoke to John Levi III, coordinator of programs for Communities in School at Sheridan, and offered her services. When she discovered there would be 20 students in the program, she got her husband, David Goldberg, to help out.

For several years Swanson and Goldberg operated Art On Center Gallery. They no longer own it but remain active in the art scene, exhibiting works on occasion in local galleries.

Levi had contacted the city of Tacoma, which sent the notice out on its art listserv e-mail list. When Swanson responded, Levi checked out her website and learned about her background.

“She is an established artist. I thought that would be important,” Levi said. “She seemed like a good fit.”

Sheridan does not offer a class specifically on art; teachers incorporate art into other subjects when appropriate.

“That is where we come in,” Levi said. “We provide things schools are not able to have anymore, due to lack of funding or other reasons.”

In January, Levi put together a list of after-school programs and students were able to sign up. The art class has a fee of $20 and a maximum of 25 children can participate.

They have met each Monday afternoon for the past nine weeks; the class ends on March 15.

Goldberg came up with the idea to do a mural with a robot theme, “City of Robots,” which was done with collage and acrylic paint on several panels that are four feet high and two feet wide.

He felt the topic would inspire children to think about a universal theme of what the future may hold.

“It was something they could all relate to,” he said.

Levi plans to display the mural in a hallway in Sheridan. He feels it represents students learning how to work together, take directions and be flexible. Each had to make their vision as a young artist mesh with the collective vision of the group, he noted.

Swanson noted they gave the children ideas for the mural; how they interpreted those ideas is seen in the final product.

Swanson was unemployed when she responded to the notice. She used to teach art classes to children in her gallery and was intrigued by doing so once again. “I really missed working with kids. I like the way they respond to ideas.”

Goldberg said they are taking a basic approach in teaching the young artists, focusing on teamwork and collaboration.

“They are a little young to wrap their heads around the more complex concepts.”

“They are learning fresh ideas that we take for granted,” Swanson commented.

Several students from the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Mt. Tahoma High School are assistant teachers. One is Aaron Scafe, a junior.

“They are learning shapes, how to compare and contrast colors,” Scafe said of the children.

He said the class reminded him of after-school programs when he was that age. “We love the kids and try to make them have fun.”

“We get to work together to express ourselves,” fourth-grader Ashley Riley said. She expressed obvious enthusiasm for the themes of robots and aliens. She held up a picture she drew of a robot. “It has three legs so it can run faster.”

Levi will not have an art class in spring, but hopes to offer it through the entire 2010-11 school year. “Youth need art,” he said. “This gives them a chance to explore the artist within them. It is like a breath of fresh air.”