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The museum of online art



Leah Hedtler, 5, works on her art project at Hill-Roberts Elementary School in Attleboro. The young artists, under the tutelage of art teacher Catherine McCaughey, have had their work displayed on the Internet. (Staff photo by Tom Mauigre)




Attleboro elementary school teachers able to upload kids' work to Web
ATTLEBORO - These days, little Suzy's school art project isn't limited to display on the refrigerator.

Now, teachers can upload students' work to an online "art museum," where friends, grandparents and other schoolchildren can view their pictures, leave comments and even order coffee mugs and mousepads emblazoned with the student art.

Schools get a cut of any sales.

Hill-Roberts Elementary School received an enthusiastic response from students and parents when it joined Artsonia, an Illinois-based Internet portal where students around the world can display their work in a series of online galleries.

The school receives 15 percent of any products ordered with the students' designs.
But the real purpose behind the school's participation is to provide students with a way to share their work with grandparents, neighbors and even other school children around the world, said art teacher Catherine McCaughey, who learned about the site at a teaching conference.

McCaughey calls the program a "great motivator" to encourage students to develop their artistic talent.

Artsonia recently honored McCaughey and her class for being the eighth largest exhibitor in the state for 2007 in terms of student participation.

McCaughey's kindergarten through fourth-grade pupils displayed a total of 1,114 individual artworks and received hundreds of comments and fan letters.

About 2,000 schools have exhibited students' work on Artsonia, including Bishop Feehan and North Attleboro high schools.

At Hill-Roberts, Principal Matt Joseph said the online gallery fits with the school's philosophy of using technology to reach out to parents and the community.

The school already produces daily, student-produced podcasts of its announcements and an extensive Web site, including teacher Web pages and faculty-produced video study tips and reminders.

"We want our school to extend beyond the walls and the doors," Joseph said.

Hill-Roberts' art gallery can be found online at www.artsonia.com/schools/hill9, or by visiting the school's Web site at www.hill-roberts.kannoncom.com.


 


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