A can-do job: Canton students seeking food containers for art project and to feed others

Amy L. Knapp, Massillon Independent
Canton City Schools' STEAMM Academy fifth graders Llanna Hill, left, and Karmen Gates, work on adding cans to their sculpture in Kathy Pugh's class.
Canton City Schools' STEAMM Academy fifth graders Llanna Hill, left, and Karmen Gates, work on adding cans to their sculpture in Kathy Pugh's class.

CANTON ‒ Art students at Canton City Schools' STEAMM Academy at Hartford are constructing four large art pieces from food cans and they need some help.

The works of art will not only be displayed at the Nov. 3 First Friday downtown, but the sculptures also will feed the hungry.

So far, students have collected about 1,200 donated cans from Chef Boyardee to corn and beans. They estimate they need about 6,500 cans to construct the four artworks. Once complete, the cans will be donated to the Akron-Canton Foodbank and Stark County Food Bank.

They got a boost Monday after the school's principal put out a challenge to students to collect 4,000 cans. The total number collected from the students had not been calculated.

Art teacher Kathy Pugh has been trying to incorporate her fourth- through eighth-grade students in the monthly First Friday events.

Canton City Schools: 'We are on our way back.' Officials cite slow, steady progress

As a First Friday steering committee member, Pugh suggested her students provide some artwork for November's theme "Canton Can."

"I've wanted to do this for a while," Pugh said. "I've done this on a small scale before."

Canton Can at First Friday

During past First Fridays, art students created portraits of dogs at the pound and sold them, making about $300 that was donated to the Friends of Stark County Pound. Others were able to sell their own artwork at the event.

The project has kept students in Pugh's and art teacher Adrienne Dickerson's classes busy. They began talking about the project at the start of the year. They worked on logistics while continuing to work on other art projects. About a month ago, the students got down to business.

The four sculptures are based on artists' artworks, including Andy Warhol's Campbell's Tomato Soup can, Piet Mondrian's sculpture featuring white, blue, yellow and red blocks, and Robert Indiana's pop art LOVE sculpture. The fourth is an alligator in honor of Gator's Joint at 235 Cleveland Ave. NW, where it will be displayed.

The others will be on display at Creative Dreams/Juilliard Arts Center, 610 Market Ave. N; along Fourth Street and at Centennial Plaza.

Students will construct the large (around 6 feet tall) art pieces during the day Nov. 3. That night students will be on hand building 4-foot minions to show visitors the process of planning and constructing the artwork made from cans.

Donations have poured in from not only Stark County but Texas and Florida. Students are mapping the locations where the food has been donated from as part of a social studies lesson.

The culinary classes are coming up with recipes to use the foods that are part of the sculptures and the health and gym classes have discussed the nutritional values of the foods.

Seventh grader Jacob Foley is enjoying the project.

Canton City School's STEAMM Academy students, from left, Aiden Heaton, seventh grade, Corey Jennings, fifth grade, and Carter Sheets , fifth grade, measure the circumference of their can sculpture in Kathy Pugh's class.
Canton City School's STEAMM Academy students, from left, Aiden Heaton, seventh grade, Corey Jennings, fifth grade, and Carter Sheets , fifth grade, measure the circumference of their can sculpture in Kathy Pugh's class.

"I love this," the 13-year-old said. "It's probably my favorite class."

He and his classmates have learned a number of new skills they will need later in life, the budding architect said.

Pugh said the project allows kids to see practical uses for things they are learning in school. For instance, instead of just working out a math problem on paper, they can apply the principles to design their art projects and make them come to life.

The art project has many facets: Organizing the cans into like colors and foods, charting the number collected and what types of foods to cutting wood to support the art pieces and building the structures. Each student has been able to participate in something that plays to their strong points, Dickerson said.

"It's great motivation," she said. "I have a couple of kids that can't sit still. They need to move and this is great for them. There are some many jobs."

Anyone wishing to donate cans can drop them off at the school office at 1824 Third St. SE, or Pugh's business, Creative Dreams, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

Canton City Schools' STEAMM Academy fifth graders Isshiah Crockett, and Alivia Sawver work on adding stickers to a graph they are creating of cans by color and type of foods in Kathy Pugh's class.
Canton City Schools' STEAMM Academy fifth graders Isshiah Crockett, and Alivia Sawver work on adding stickers to a graph they are creating of cans by color and type of foods in Kathy Pugh's class.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: STEAMM Academy students building food can sculptures for First Friday

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