Art, Science and Nature at The Grange Audubon Center
When a school’s class groups have names such as “Chickadees”, “Catbirds” or “Grackles”, and the oldest students serve as mentors known as “bird buddies”, who could imagine a more appropriate field trip than the Grange Insurance Audubon Center?
As an urban oasis amid the bustle of downtown Columbus, it’s hard to believe that this serene and beautiful space was once a city impound lot. This was just one of the things Red Oak Community School students learned as they enjoyed an early fall morning experiencing all this unique space has to offer.
Although the morning loomed a bit gray, students felt sunny as they boarded The Big Yellow School Bus for the adventure ahead. The Big Yellow School Bus program is a grant administered through The Ohio Arts Council to help cover transportation costs for art-focused K-12 field trips. Since Red Oak Community School students don’t regularly ride a bus to school, it was an exciting moment as some of the children exclaimed, “This is my first time on a bus!”
A short while later, gray skies gave way to sun as the bus arrived at the welcoming entrance to be greeted by a familiar smiling face. In another happy connection, ROCS very own Art & Culture educator Anne Spurgeon is currently Artist in Residence at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. Students hopped off the bus with their bird buddies and settled in to meet Anne Scott, the Community Engagement Coordinator, who shared a bit of the history of Audubon, and what makes Columbus’s center so special.
In the main lobby students discovered vibrant flags along the ceiling displaying the nearly 200 species of birds identified at the center, which is situated within the Scioto-Greenlawn Important Bird Area (IBA). An IBA is an area that is recognized internationally as critical to bird populations; providing habitat, promoting conservation efforts, and helping to ensure the survival of migratory birds and native species. Years ago, the site was little more than an enormous parking lot, now transformed into an example of urban reclamation and redevelopment.
Exploring the lobby, the students had great fun identifying the birds their classes are named for, as well as birds they know well from the area. Art is nearly as primary a focus for the center as science, and the center’s commitment to visual art is clear in the many works exhibited throughout the main lobby. The children and educators also took time to explore several interactive stations featuring topics on ornithology, conservation, and the history of the site.
The most unique portion of the morning was, hands down, the students’ experience with Anne Spurgeon in her role as Artist in Residence. As a beloved ROCS educator, the students are accustomed to being the focus of Anne’s work. Anne challenges the children to truly engage with art— her class is not a cookie cutter “art” experience. Rather, Anne’s devotion to encouraging each child’s creative process and work is critical to the way the school captures a fuller picture of each child’s strengths, as well as areas where they may need additional support. When nudged to a deeper level of conception or execution of a project, a student may reveal previously masked executive function needs, or an uncanny ability to translate ideas or feelings into a concrete form, all of which contribute to ROCS’s holistic approach to education.
This day’s experience was unique, however, in that the students got to see their teacher in her less familiar role as a professional artist working in their own community. It was a joy to watch their faces as they took in her studio space, seeing examples of many of Anne’s works on paper, her Fried Egg series, and ceramic sculpture from her Drawing in Space series.
A true highlight occurred getting a peek into her sketchbook—more than one child’s jaw dropped at her pencil study of the majestic white mulberry tree in the center’s garden. Just as Anne described how she would then translate those observations into a different type of artwork, students were then invited to bring their own observations to life by contributing to the Living Field Drawing—a collaborative installation open to the community, and the current focal point of the studio. The students diligently went to work using color, shapes, patterns and textures to add to the vibrant collage. It was hard not to giggle at some of the creative but cheeky ideas they expressed—children creating not just what they observe, but what they playfully imagine the world could be.
Then it was off to explore so many other engaging opportunities throughout the Grange. Ambassador turtles, crafting supplies and kid-centric artwork adorned another sunshine-filled learning space. Every area is effectively a gallery and a classroom, and the kids enjoyed all of it, including the chance to get all their energy out in the playroom.
As a parent and observer, the best part of my day was watching the children explore the sensory and pollinator gardens, where the whole day came together. ROCS educator Colleen reminded students to use all their senses to experience the environment before they settled in with their sketchbooks to create their own drawings from the surroundings.
“Bird buddy” mentors used their growing leadership skills to usher the younger ones through a series of observation prompts. A hush fell over the group as they began to find flowers, plants and trees to translate into sketches. Seeing students of all ages works so deeply and cohesively together on a beautiful day--with the Columbus city skyline just beyond-- perfectly encapsulated how the Grange Insurance Audubon Center has provided an oasis not just for the birds, but for the community to experience the intersection of art, science and nature so beautifully.
Many thanks to Ohio Arts Council, the Big Yellow School Bus program, and the Grange Insurance Audubon Center for making such a magical day of learning possible!
--- Hollie Ancharoff, ROCS parent
