December 12, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. the PASD art department held a Family Paint Nite fundraiser at the D.H.H. Lengel Middle School. All the materials were provided, and step-by-step instructions made the painting process easy for both kids and adults.

“It was a good idea to have the Paint Nite to bring the community together. It also allowed families to come out and enjoy a fun night of painting together. The event was successful and received many positive comments,” Mrs. Katrina Greenawalt, art teacher, said.  “We raised enough money to help us buy supplies that are needed for the art rooms for next semester. We plan on having more paint nights in the future. We hope to have them at different times of the year to go with the different seasons.”  

Already many people in the community are wondering when the next family paint night will be.

“The art department has done one fundraiser where we sold hand-printed T-shirts and hoodies with a custom design by Mrs. Arnold. The Family Paint Nite will help the department order clay for Ceramics I and II courses, among other supplies we may run out of suddenly. These fundraisers are beneficial because it gives the department a reserve that we can use for things like Art Show ribbons and sudden expenses we incur. That security allows us to keep offering the quality projects PASD students, parents and community come to expect from our art department,” Miss Lindsey Boncore, art teacher, said.

Some art students volunteered at the Family Paint Nite. There were refreshments available for purchase, and the volunteers helped run that station.

“I really did enjoy helping. It’s always nice to see younger kids being introduced to art. These fundraisers really do help our art program. Extra money is always an important thing to have in an art department. It ensures that we always have the right tools and supplies for each artist,” senior Matilyn Ashfield said.

One of the goals of hosting an event for the whole family was to spark an interest in painting in younger kids.

“We had 51 painters in attendance at the paint night December 12. This was the first time the PASD art department has ever held an event like this, and it was an overwhelming success. Groups of families and friends came out for a relaxing night of painting, and all the participants had positive responses. The number one question we heard when people were leaving at the end of the night was, ‘When are you going to do this again?’ Mrs. Greenawalt came up with the idea last spring, and while the rest of the art department pitched in to help out, it was Mrs. Greenawalt who organized the entire event,” Mrs. Sara Arnold, art teacher, said.

Having the Family Paint Night gave the art department extra spending money to use in case of any emergencies.

“There were budget cuts last year, and we anticipate more cuts this year. So the paint night event is important because it will help us continue to provide the same quality visual arts education that the PASD art department has always offered,” Mrs. Arnold said.