Art Guild displays students’ work at local shop

There are many things people have come to expect when walking into Weiser Classic Candy in downtown Weiser. 
 In addition to a bag full of some of the best candy in the region, patrons are now afforded the opportunity to walk away with a greater appreciation for student art.
 Beginning this month, the Four County Art Guild began showcasing student art on a wall inside the shop that owner Patrick Nauman generously designated for just that purpose.
 “One of our main missions is promoting art in the community,” explained Four County Art Guild’s Lori Mooney who, along with other Guild members, was busy last week attaching art created by Weiser High School students to clips that were recently attached to the wall inside Nauman’s shop.
 Also installed was a wooden sign, with artistic red lettering created by Guild member Wendy Martell, designating the pieces as student art.
 Nauman’s shop is part of the Four County Art Guild’s Self-Guided Walking Tour, which consists of local businesses where works created by local artists are displayed. Individuals can grab a brochure at the Weiser Chamber of Commerce and several businesses throughout the city. Among other information, the brochure includes a map guiding people along the tour. 
 The display in Nauman’s shop, however, is specifically aimed at showcasing art from students attending Weiser High School and Weiser Middle School, as well as Pioneer Elementary and Park School.
 Guild judges visit each school on a monthly basis and award ribbons and money for top artists. After the judging, they pick up the schools’ art to be hung up at Weiser Classic Candy. They will be displayed for a month and then switched out with art from another school. The schools take turns throughout the year, the monthly rotation beginning in October and ending in April. A guest artist will be displayed inside Weiser Classic Candy from June through September.
 “This month is the high school and next month will be the middle school, so there will be a rotation,” Mooney said. “And then, in May, we will ask a high school senior to come hang their art and then they can come pick it up in the summer. We are hoping Artful Bon’s will provide art for August and September because there isn’t a lot of time for teachers to get a lot of art built up that we can bring down here.”
 Mooney said Nauman was in full support of creating a student art wall inside his shop.
 “When we talked to Patrick and asked him what he thought, he said, ‘absolutely,’” she said.
 Nauman, who originally came up with the idea for the walking tour brochure, had another idea for the student art display. Below each artistic piece is a number that corresponds with envelopes where individuals can vote for their favorite piece.
 “We are holding a ‘People’s Choice’ contest and people can vote with money,” Nauman said. “Every penny is a vote, but I’m going to encourage them to do dollar bills. The kids get to keep all the money and the winner will get a $25 gift card from Weiser Classic Candy.”
 Nauman said he has always supported the arts, which can also be another reason for people to visit Weiser while drawing them in to local businesses.
 “We have some amazing artists in this area and so many of them are not recognized,” he said. “Their friends and family know they are amazing, but nobody else does and I want them to get the recognition they deserve. Plus, it’s another one of those tourist draws to the area. When you have a walking tour and you have those places around town that have art on display, it’s nice to have that out there and draw people in. It’s kind of how you organically build tourism and as far as student art is concerned, that’s a double whammy.
 “Education in all forms is extremely important, so this was a natural step in being able to display student art. It gives the artists an outlet other than craft fairs and shows. There aren’t too many places where it can be on display 24/7.”
 More information about the Four County Art Guild can be found by visiting the organization’s Facebook page. To become a member or to be a part of the Self-Guided Art Walking Tour, call Lori Mooney at (208) 739-2094 or Barbara W. at (208) 549-0811.
 Don’t forget about the annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Show, sponsored by the Guild and Friends of the Library, which is scheduled for Nov. 4-5 at the Vendome Events Center in Weiser. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 

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