School Board approves trip for CL senior art students

Clear Lake High School senior art students will have the opportunity to experience art in a variety of forms through a trip to Seattle, Wash. in November.

The Clear Lake School Board gave unanimous approval Monday night to a request by CLHS art instructor Tyler Purdy to offer the trip to his senior independent studio students Nov. 8-12.

“The purpose of this trip is to expose my students to art, architecture, landscapes, and culture beyond North Iowa and even beyond the Midwest,” said Purdy.  “My students and I talked about going to Chicago, but then realized that many Midwestern students have been to, or could generally get to, Chicago. We’re dreaming big and are wanting to go to the Seattle and Tacoma area.”

Purdy will be able to provide personal, as well as professional insight into stops during the trip.  He lived in Tacoma for six and one-half years.

Ten students are expected to make the trip, along with Purdy and another chaperone.  The students are raising money for the excursion by selling art at the Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 6, selling Thirty One bags and blankets (through Oct. 5), and paying for the rest of the trip with their own money. Each student is to contribute $600.

The itinerary for the trip has not been finalized yet, but could include the Tacoma Art Museum, International Museum of Glass and Bridge of Glass in Tacoma, the Seattle Art Museum, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle Space Needle, Experience Music Project, University of Washington (Seattle) Art Department, ferry rides, Mt. Rainer and Olympic National Parks, a train ride from Tacoma to Seattle and possibly even a side trip to Vancouver, British Columbia or whale watching.

While there, students will be expected to make sketch book entries and make photography log/journal entries, as well as simply soak in art in many ways.

Purdy said 2012 will be a pilot year for an art trip; he may pursue offering such a trip on an annual basis, depending upon the number of students in the independent studio