Monster Art Show at The Village in Downtown Bryan
Article + Photos by Lizzie West
It was an exciting evening for artists of all ages Thursday night. Artist and Coordinator of the First Grade Monster Challenge, Kristina Andazola, had a vision come to life. First graders from Ms. Kristi Hancock’s class were given free reign to dream up a monster of their choosing, and other artists nationwide were invited to craft their own creations inspired by these little monster’s artwork. It may sound terrifying, talking about monsters coming to life, but it was an adorable and amazing array of art for all!
Kristina was so excited to share her dream with our community. She participated in a similar monster challenge as an artist in college and wanted to share the joy she felt with other artists from all over the country. She recounted her experience as an artist participating in the challenge, and said it felt so good to see the reaction of the young artist she was working with and his excitement in explaining how each part of his monster was important and that she captured it just right in his eyes. This sentiment was absolutely echoed at the show on Thursday.
The young monster creators were universally vocal about loving their artist-partners interpretations of the original pieces. In parallel, each professional artist found the experience to be a fun way to demonstrate their craft and greatly enjoyed working with the kiddos. When asked, the young artists were more than happy to share their favorite part of their monstrous creations, and the professionals explained the inspiration behind their choices of medium and texture with smiles on their faces. For example, artist Cielle Chevalier, utilized many different fabrics and glitters to recreate Brooklyn’s monster and vibrantly brought all her many shades of pink to life. Some art was more traditional, some digital graphic design, wood working, sculpting, and even some sewn pieces. Not one piece was the same and all were incredibly inspirational. This was absolutely a culmination of hard work from everyone involved – from conception to creation – from showcasing to supporting.
Last but absolutely not least, a big thanks to Kristi Petty at The Village for providing the perfect venue for displaying all the pieces. It was a packed house full of artists, friends, family, and community. And, as Kristina Andazola says, “Kid art is the best art!”
The exhibit will be available to view at The Village until November 14th and more information about the artists and program can be found at 1stgrademonsterchallenge.com