Grants in Action | 2023/2024 School Year

Maura Amato, Perrysburg Junior High Art Teacher, requested a $4,347.22 grant from Perrysburg Schools Foundation for ceramic glazes and tools to benefit over 550 students each year in her and fellow art teacher Virginia Vasey’s classes. The project includes kiln carts and stilts, glazing brushes and dipping tongs, heat-proof gloves, fluting and wire loop tools, banding wheels and glazes.

“Our goal is to help students learn creative problem solving by giving them the tools they need to sculpt successfully and produce good craftsmanship on their projects,” explained Ms. Amato. “We wanted to switch to newer brands of glazes that are higher quality, present a larger color palette and are more easily purchased in spite of supply chain issues we have experienced. We want to achieve the best savings and maximize our budget.”

This project will allow students creative experimentation with mark making and stamping, sculpting, glazing and imprinting clay as they learn about three-dimensional works of art, and translating a two-dimensional concept into a three-dimensional sculpture or functional object.

 

Students will use the glazes and tools requested in the grant to experiment with how texture, color and glazing techniques can influence the outcome of pattern and overall vessel design. “Having more material options to provide our students with will allow each of us as teachers to help our students reach their full creative potential,” shared Ms. Amato.

In a separate grant application, Ms. Amato requested $780 for polymer clay supplies to help students learn creative problem solving and experimentation with blending, color mixing and marbleizing polymer clay, utilizing professional grade supplies to help them achieve their fullest potential as artists.

“In 8th grade semester classes, students learn about millefiori canes and polymer clay to learn about 3-dimensional building techniques, glass artwork — cold and hot, and the rich history of the glass industry in Toledo,” Ms. Amato explained. “Polymer clay comes in many different colors, and we use these colors to teach about color schemes, tints, tones, shades, value change and color mixing.”

The Perrysburg Schools Arts Council is charged with suggesting areas of funding from the Perrysburg Schools Foundation and its Campaign for the Arts that supports the visual and performing arts through student discovery, student experience, program growth and program sustainability.