Student art show, auction coming next Thursday

An art-driven fundraiser to raise money for Pawhuska Public Schools teachers has key events scheduled next Thursday, Dec. 5.

A student art show will be from 4-6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Big Rain Gallery, 617 Kihekah Ave. The show will be followed by a reception from 6 p.m. to 6:30, and by a live auction at 6:30 p.m. These events are elements of The Gallery Experience, which uses student art as the basis for a fundraiser that will put funds in the hands of local public school teachers.

This is the second year for The Gallery Experience, which grew out of a conversation between artist and gallery owner Addie Roanhorse and her daughter, who is a student in Pawhuska Public Schools. Roanhorse recently said in the neighborhood of 60 students participated in 2018.

This time, more than 100 students received canvases on which to create their own, unique pieces of art. The Gallery Experience will promote the concept of students using their creativity and skill to accomplish a social goal, namely helping to show appreciation for their teachers in a tangible way. Osage Casino is sponsoring The Gallery Experience.

The organization of this art-driven fundraiser is just one way in which Pawhuska students have played a role recently in helping their community. In a separate effort, students at Pawhuska Elementary School and Indian Camp Elementary School held a canned food drive this month that yielded more than 500 cans of food, according to teacher Jon Marie Wilson.

Several local families were selected to receive food as a result of the canned food drive, Wilson said. Additionally, some local businesses donated meat, she said. The businesses included Blue Sky Bank, Moore Pipeline Services and Bank of Pawhuska, she said. The food drive is an annual effort that is well-established and has been taking place for well over a decade, Wilson said.