Monster Mashup: Elliott and Lincoln High artists unite for special project

November 13, 2024

Lincoln Public Schools students ensured that monster mania would run past its usual Halloween closing date this fall.
 
Dozens of community members came to Elliott Elementary School on Nov. 6 for the inaugural Monster Jam Art Show. Creatures from outer space, fantasy lands and deep imaginations filled both sides of a hallway in Elliott’s basement. Young artists from Elliott teamed up with Lincoln High School students for a project that taught them many valuable lessons.
 
Second grader Hazel beamed as she found her decorative monster on a display board. She drew a creature with a round purple head and a pink body. The sky behind her monster was filled with stars, clovers, feathers and green teardrop-shaped stickers.
 
“I made a crown with these,” Hazel said as she pointed to a row of silver pearl-shaped beads on the monster’s forehead. “I liked it.”
 
“I’m really proud of my daughter for pursuing things in art,” Hazel’s father Nick said. “Watching her do what she loves to do is fantastic.”
 
Elliott students in first grade, second grade and English Learners Level 1 classes created mixed-media drawings of happy monsters in art classes led by Jodi Heiser. They then passed along their artwork to students in Lindsey Weber’s class at Lincoln High. The Links used materials such as watercolors, cardboard, felt and fabric to curate detailed interpretations of each monster.
 
Weber asked Heiser earlier this year if she would be interested in having Lincoln High students form artistic partnerships with her class. Weber’s son is a second grader at Elliott, and she felt it would be a natural fit to have the Links and Owls work together.
 
Heiser said she immediately knew the project would be a top-of-the-charts success with everyone at Elliott.
 
“I loved the idea,” Heiser said. “I thought it would be super fun for the kids to get involved and be able to see their ideas framed in another light.”
 
More than 100 students soon began drawing creatures of all sizes, colors, textures and shapes on pieces of paper. All of the monsters had to be friendly, but there were no other guidelines beyond that.
 
“The kids loved it, and I think the idea of creating a monster was so playful for them,” Heiser said. “We talked a lot about textures and things that you can touch to give the monster different feelings, and they have all of this stuff on them from texture trays. They all found their favorite things.”
 
The Owls sent their drawings down the road to Lincoln High for the project’s second phase. Each high schooler selected a piece of art to reimagine through their own creative lenses. Some students like Raven produced paper-based versions with watercolors, pencils, markers or crayons, while others like Kyleigah made three-dimensional objects with their sewing and construction skills.
 
Weber collected all of the designs and brought them to Elliott for the art show. She and Heiser placed each pair of creatures together to let the elementary students see how the high schoolers worked with their monsters.
 
Weber said before the show that the Links gained many academic and social benefits from the experience.
 
“Through this project, high schoolers will learn how to creatively and respectfully use the ideas of others while also creating something new,” Weber said. “They’ll discover how to honor the origins of an idea and find the nuance in that process.”
 
The stage was then set for each Elliott student to find their monster at the show. First grader Sofia discovered her green monster on top of a hallway ledge. Both ears were shaped like hockey sticks and there were a pair of plaid squares on its face.
 
“I like it because it’s really beautiful,” Sofia said.
 
Fellow first grader Farrah looked up with excitement as she saw her blue creature hanging in a row of pictures on a wall. Her smiling monster stood in a field of hearts and flowers and held up a cookie for all to see. She completed her image by making a sky full of purple and pink hearts.
 
“I liked to draw it,” Farrah said.
 
Many Lincoln High students also sent messages to Elliott artists on sticky notes that were placed alongside the drawings. Henry worked on Hazel’s monster and formed a creature standing above rows of blue skyscrapers. His smiling monster held three flowers in one hand and a piece of candy corn in the other hand.
 
“Hey Hazel, I really liked how colorful you made your monster and it looks amazing!” Henry wrote on a yellow note. “I hope you liked my version of your monster, I tried to make it just as cool as yours. I hope your Halloween was fun this year too! Have a safe and fun school year!”
 
Weber said she would like Monster Jam mania to thrive in Elliott’s hallways for many years to come.
 
“It’s a wonderful project,” Weber said. “I hope it can become a Lincoln staple!”
 
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