Editor’s note: Due to school policy, students at New Dominion School at Gerard Academy are not identified.

Creativity was not in short supply on Wednesday.

Inside New Dominion School at Gerard Academy, young creatives from elementary and middle school grades, had the chance to showcase their art projects that they worked on during the school year. There were more than 40 pieces of artwork that were displayed for their classmates and members of the Austin Art Center who came out to judge the pieces. The winners selected would have their pieces displayed for the Austin Artworks Festival in August.

This was the second year that New Dominion held the art show for its students, but it was the first time that there was community involvement, according to Christine Peterson, special education teacher for elementary and middle school grades. Some of their projects included photography off-campus and working on pottery pieces at the Austin Art Center.

“They took photographs in disposable film,” Peterson said while pointing to a wide array of clay bowls. “It took two visits. The students made the bowls themselves. The pieces were put in the kiln, then students came back and painted them. The work was then fired, and they picked them up.”

A young boy pointed out his pottery piece that he worked hard in creating, noting that he loved how it turned out.

Middle school students followed a theme of creating art from different cultures around the world, such as inspired weaving to depict kente cloth from West Africa, Irish celtic knots, and Indonesian shadow puppets.

A male student created a lantern from paper, twine and watercolor paint. He created a piece that reflected the Chinese traditional paper lanterns.

“I like the art that I made,” he told his peers during presentations.

Another female student had sculpted colorful maracas depicting the musical instruments in Mexican culture using paper mache.

“I call it musical maracas,” she said with a shy smile. “I like to make music, and it’s very special.”

‘For we are unique’

A 13-year-old seventh grade girl artfully crafted a poem, expressing how diversity was something that brought people together instead of keeping them apart, and how diversity was a work of art in itself.

“How would you like it if someone called you strange?” the student recited in front of her peers. “Together, let’s join hand to hand, for we are unique, united we stand.”

Poetry, the girl shared, was something that helped her cope with emotions and she found comfort in being able to express her feelings in an art form.

“It’s a good coping skill,” Peterson said to the girl.

“It calms me down when it’s stressful,” she replied. “The words come to me, and it flows out. I love poetry.”

Peterson shared that the student had won a talent show in April with her poetry, and that many of New Dominion students were just kids who needed a place where they could freely and safely express themselves.

With showcasing their artwork and sharing stories of what New Dominion School does for students, Peterson hoped that it would negate the negative stigma or perception of what the public may assume about those who attend New Dominion.

“They’ve come from a lot of trauma, and they’re just trying to learn,” she said. “They really worked hard on their stuff. These are wonderful kids who want to feel safe and secure.”