To contribute to Mansfield’s Earth Day Silent Auction, art classes painted rain collection barrels for donation.

“Part of being a member of a community is working to make it better,” teacher Dallas Williams said. “Painting the barrels is our way as artists to help out. This program helps to connect us with local artists and other members of the community.”

The department painted four barrels.

“It’s important to do anything possible to help the earth,” senior Jenny Skaggs said. “We were only given one planet and so we should learn to take care of it.”

Students from Art Club, painting classes and Spring Art Camp participated.

“We were inspired to do a summer theme since we knew we were going for a more natural look,” senior Ella Nguyen said. “We let the kids in art camp draw the small details and eventually the barrel looked like a glass jar with bugs inside.”

This is art’s third year to participate

I increased the number of students helping us this year,” Williams said. “The painting classes worked together to come up with two designs that they could work on as a collaborative group, therefore each artist was able to contribute to the final product.”

Williams plans to continue this tradition.

“Our earth is all we have; everyone should care,” she said. “Everything you can do to help out our environment matters, no matter how big or small.”