Eureka Springs Middle School is working with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to create a meaningful public art project, and the community is invited to participate.

The Crystal Bridges Middle School Arts Integration program helps communities celebrate their uniqueness through the integration of American art in the classroom, focusing on the visual arts and offering schools a comprehensive action plan, customized workshops and courses and student field trips to the museum. Eureka Springs was one of 16 schools chosen for the program, an honor that makes teachers and administrators feel thankful.

“Crystal Bridges didn’t just want it to be a one-anddone training,” said former middle school principal Caen Dowell. “They wanted it to be an ongoing training process, so they include us in as many events and opportunities they can. They help the school districts, and the teachers are great for jumping on board.”

The school’s steering committee is led by K-8 arts teacher Shelby Chappell, who sees the partnership as an opportunity to invite the Eureka Springs community to be part of local arts education. She’s learned so much through the training, Chappell said, and she especially enjoyed collecting information on the community.

“Our goals are to collect information on the town and the community,” Chappell said. “I like it for the kids, because it helps them see that what happens in the classroom matters. We can use art to teach them local stories.”

It certainly helps that Eureka Springs has a rich history in the arts, with countless working artists living here. Eureka Springs students grow up surrounded by art in their classrooms, homes, restaurants, coffee shops, streets and storm drains. The program is a natural fit for a place like Eureka Springs, Chappell said.

“Eureka Springs is such a melting pot, and our students are unique,” Chappell said. “We live in such an art-loving and art-open community, and we are so rich in the arts.”

Dru Davison, program manager of school partnerships at Crystal Bridges, said he’s pleased to see how the school has included the community throughout the first year of the partnership. Eureka Springs is a shining example of how the program helps communities celebrate the arts, Davison said.

“We’re empowering the schools to reach out to the community and learn how to leverage all the beautiful things of their own campus to make sure they’re connecting in meaningful ways,” Davison said.

Eureka Springs Middle School emphasized that connection to community and the arts at its year-end art show on May 2. The show featured student art from all grade levels, a glow room on the elementary campus, local food vendors and a makeand- take table.

“I was so happy I cried,” Chappell said. “I was happy the students at the middle school were represented, because their art is a reflection of them and their life and they’re a huge part of our community. We’re investing in our kids.”

The idea for the makeand- take table came from training at Crystal Bridges, Chappell said. Chappell invited families to sit together and create their own designs on clear plates. Seeing everyone engaged in the activity showed her how much art means to Eureka Springs, Chappell said.

“The tables were full,” Chappell said, thanking steering committee member Hannah Rankin for spearheading that aspect of the event.

Davison, who attended the art show with another Crystal Bridges colleague, remembered how joy filled the room as students showed their artwork to their families. He loved talking to the students about their art and learning about what motivated their work. “It was a beautiful time when kids were being recognized for their creativity,” Davison said. “This partnership really is all about arts integration in the classroom.”

The partnership is expected to reach 800 teachers and more than 8,000 students over a two-year period, with a specific focus on middle school students. Davison described the importance of reaching middle school students — the focus on that age group is one thing that makes the partnership special.

“It’s such an important time in the development of a young person where sometimes the arts gets diminished in attention,” Davison said. “If the elementary has a lot and the high school has a lot, then the hourglass in the middle represents the middle school.”

Davison continued, “We’re using this idea of the importance of that critical stage of development for kids. I’m really happy with that, because after being in middle schools across the state and seeing the kids responding so well to the program … it’s been really rewarding.”

While the first year of the partnership focused on training and research, the second year will bring the implementation of a public art project. Chappell has been working with the steering committee to gather input from students, families and community members about the type of art project they’d like to see in Eureka Springs. Dowell praised Chappell for her hard work leading the committee.

“As [Chappell] starts working toward this community art project, input’s going to be incredibly valuable,” Dowell said. “It gives the community a stronger connection to the school and what we’re doing here.”

Crystal Bridges remains committed to training the teachers and making the museum accessible for all students. Davison said the museum will continue offering free field trips to entire grade levels, customizing each field trip to reflect what students are learning in the classroom.

“When teachers are grappling with these difficult concepts, the power of the arts can unlock that in new, special and innovative ways that drive inspiration,” Davison said. “Teachers need to know their efforts are really coming to fruition. We want to be part of that inspiration for one of the most incredible callings one can have, and that’s one of a teacher.”