Virtual Gallery highlights middle school artwork

Aside from a school art show or a stroll past classrooms, it’s not likely you’ll see much of the artwork created by most middle school students.

But that’s not the case at Carl Sandburg Middle School where a Virtual Art Gallery highlights artwork from District 75 sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students in an online collection. From pottery to paintings, the art is photographed and posted on a webpage for all to see.

Started in 2020 by CSMS Art Teacher Lisa Shirley, the gallery is an opportunity for students to showcase their work for an audience outside of school.

“It’s a quick and easy way for people to see the great art they’re making at Carl Sandburg,” Shirley said.

The idea was to create an online presence much like a real art gallery in which people can view the artwork and read about the inspiration or process behind the creative pieces.

Each student is asked to choose one piece of art they’ve created, write a short summary of why or how it was created, and post it on the gallery page. Throughout the year as more students move through the CSMS art program, artwork is added to the page. Each year it is taken down and started over with a new group of students, and a new collection of artwork.

Selections from the Art Collection can be viewed here.