Over 240 young artists flocked to the new Center School on Saturday for the 2012 Arts Buffet Festival. Student participants tried their hand at over 20 arts and crafts projects including beaded bubble wands, fabric memo boards, and leprechaun traps as well as old favorites such as clay, watercolor and mosaic tiles. All these activities and many more were greatly enjoyed while Center and Pompositticut School students delighted attendees with their musical talents.
This year's festival was the first event held at the new Center School. Students, parents, and members of the community were treated to a Student Art Show set up in the lobby by Marion Rayner. Mrs. Rayner, who is retiring from her teaching career at the end of this school year after eleven years in the Stow elementary schools, was also honored at the event. In recognition of her dedication to her students and the arts, students from Pompo, Center and Hale took turns reciting a poem about the value of an art teacher. The Stow PTO presented her with a bouquet of lilies as well as a personalized copy of "The Dot" by noted local children's author Peter H. Reynolds.
The festival is the creation of former Stow resident Liz Muehl. An artist and teacher by training, Liz believed that art is an essential part of life and founded the "Friends of the Arts" non-profit group in 2002. The group's purpose was to raise funds for art supplies for the schools to supplement budget cuts happening at the time. The only problem was there was little class time dedicated to using them. This led Liz to create the Arts Buffet Festival to establish a venue for elementary school children to have a fun, hands-on art experience. The event grew every year, involving more artists and volunteers. Eventually, when Liz moved to Colorado in 2007, the Arts Buffet was adopted by the Stow PTO.
Continuing the tradition, this year's festival was co-coordinated by Sarah McBride, Rosanne Peterson, and Kristen Straub. They would like to thank the many, many volunteers who dedicated countless hours, as well as the Stow Cultural Council, Ace Hardware, Fun Stuff Rentals, Trader Joe's, A. C. Moore and Stow Greenhouses for their donations. In addition to all the parent volunteers, the festival was fortunate to have an outpouring of assistance from Hale Middle School students, who found ways to continue participating in this annual event even though they have graduated from the elementary schools.
The Stow PTO would also like to extend a huge "Thank You" to Liz Muehl whose vision has made this event possible. While she may now live in Colorado, Liz should be receiving a birthday card in the mail signed by the kids who attended the 10th Anniversary of the Arts Buffet Festival, which just so happened to coincide with Liz's birthday! It is truly a community event - one that we hope will continue for many, many years to come. Happy Birthday, Liz. Happy 10th Anniversary to the Arts Buffet Festival.
For more information, please visit SPTO's Arts Buffet Festival Page
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Update: This event has been postponed to a later date... More to follow.
Spring has sprung...
The Stow PTO is sponsoring a discussion by the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. Speakers will share their own personal and compelling stories of traumatic brain injury. They will also provide important facts about this silent epidemic to increase awareness and help motivate parents and children to avoid this terrible tragedy. Brain injuries can happen to anyone... kids on scooters, drivers in accidents, football and soccer players, and shooting victims such as Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
