Students represent the James through Eco Art

Every year Megan Wright, an art teacher at St. Bridget’s School, puts on an art show to showcase her students’ work. This year’s theme was EcoArt and focused on the flora and fauna of the Richmond region. Projects included watercolors of birds native to Virginia and a forest made out of recycled paper. First graders at the school were tasked with creating Atlantic sturgeon using paints and pastels to swim through a representation of the James River.

Before the first graders could create their sturgeon, they needed to learn about these ancient giants. They watched JRA’s new documentary The Great Return of the Atlantic Sturgeon, and marveled at the size of these fish, learning about their prehistoric existence and their triumph as the “fish that saved Jamestown.” Most importantly, students learned that by keeping the James River clean, they can help protect the environment and bring back more sturgeon to Virginia. 

Even though weeks have passed since
their EcoArt showcase, Ms. Wright reports that her students are still fascinated by Atlantic sturgeon. They have taken it upon themselves to educate their families about this miraculous fish and about how they can help the James River. 

Education is at the heart of JRA’s mission and we couldn’t be more excited to learn about a new group of future river guardians!

To learn more about St. Bridget’s School’s EcoArt project, visit http://saintbridget.org/events/museum-of-very-fine-arts-2014/.