ELP Students Bring Abstract Art into Reality

After studying different monuments and memorials, Jeremy Prouty’s E.L.P. students were tasked with proposing a monument or memorial for the Cedar Valley. Prouty saw a collaboration in the works and communicated with University of Northern Iowa Professor Dan Perry about having both sets of students work together to create a Holmes Pride Sculpture. Through this project, their imaginations of a sculpture were brought to life at their very own school. Why not create the real deal?

Dr. Wendy Miller, Prouty’s wife, joined in on the fun and offered her UNI students to come in to talk about abstract representation and brainstorm about what things make Holmes Jr. High so special for students and teachers. 

Both Holmes E.L.P. students and UNI art students worked to create these abstract symbols to portray school pride. These pieces were transferred from matboard to plywood and cut at the sculpture lab at UNI. Holmes students then had the opportunity to tour UNI and paint the individual pieces of the artwork. 

“The most powerful thing about this project is that my students were able to visit the UNI campus, meet undergraduate college students, and work as equals with them on a project. I want my students to see themselves as capable scholars,” Prouty said. 

Students were able to share why they are so proud of their school in a way that will be illustrated to students long after they move on to high school and their world-pursuits thereafter. And in the midst of a pandemic, some safe and meaningful interaction and collaboration is all the more welcome at Holmes Jr. High.