Burnett Students Think BIG for Big Art Day

At Burnett Junior High, creativity wasn’t just encouraged, it was traded.

The cafeteria transformed into a colorful marketplace of imagination as art students gathered to celebrate Big Art Day, swapping tiny masterpieces with big personalities. The event centered around artist trading cards, small but powerful works of art designed, created, and exchanged by students.

“BIG ART DAY is a statewide art happening designed to raise awareness of art education and highlight art as a powerful creative force in our communities on a BIG scale,” Mary Walling, Burnett Art teacher, said. “We’re excited to have all our Burnett art students participating in this special event.”

For this year’s celebration, students were tasked with creating their own artist trading cards using at least two artistic mediums. From colored pencils and pens to collages and watercolors, the variety of styles on display reflected the individuality of each young artist.

“Art students put a lot of creativity and effort into their cards,” Walling said.

Eighth-grader Joanna Smyder drew inspiration from her favorite dragons in How to Train Your Dragon, carefully crafting detailed designs with colored pencils and pen. While she enjoyed admiring her classmates’ creations, trading away her own artwork wasn’t easy.

“I'm a little attached to them, but I think it's pretty cool to see other people's artwork,” Smyder said.

For eighth-grader Zara Shani, her creative spark came from one of her favorite action-fantasy anime/manga shows.

“They are from a show I really love, ‘Soul Eater,’” said Shani, who used collages and watercolors to create her cards.

The world of sports was inspiration for eighth-grader Dorien Bookman’s cards.

“I made mine NFL teams because I like to play football,” Bookman said. “It's very inspiring to see others' cards.”Though the cards may be small, the event's impact was anything but. Big Art Day not only highlighted the talent thriving inside Burnett art classrooms but also bridged the power of art education to connect students, build community, and encourage communication.