In the past, up to three Gerald Elementary School students had their submissions to the Picture the Music project sponsored by the St. Louis Symphony, selected to be displayed in the Top 100. This year four Gerald students will have their work shown at Powell Hall in St. Louis Wednesday, March 4. 

12,000 students across the state submitted their creations for judging through their school art classes. The fact that four students from our small school were selected from that many submissions is truly remarkable.

According to Jessie Bayless, art teacher at GES, “ Picture the music is an interdisciplinary project between music and art class where they listen to a piece of music (this year was Khachaturian - Masquerade Suite - Waltz) and discuss crossover elements of the arts and imagery, then continue to listen to it while creating their complete choice masterpiece. All of these pieces turn out amazing and so innocently beautiful!”

Colleen Clifton, music teacher at GES, partners with Bayless for the project. Both plan to attend the March 4 display that will feature four of their students. Once, a Gerald student took home the Top Maestro award. The four artists who placed in the Top 100 are: Isabella Duncan, Dixie Shinkle, Reagan Brehe and Kayla Faddis.

In total, seven artists from GES had their selected to send to the judges. The other three artists were: Bryli Blaue, Reyna Neff and Julia Bouckaert.

Art students have also been busy preparing work for the Capital Art Work display. Several GES students have qualified for that as well, they will be featured in next week’s edition of The Republican.

As if that weren’t enough, first and third grade students are putting the final touches on the Concert and Art Show that will be held Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at the school.