Teachers and students at Clay County Middle School dedicate a large portion of their days to academics; however, the school also provides multiple opportunities for students to delve into the fine arts. Band, music, choir, and art classes are available to all students. Art teacher Carlet Blake, who just completed her ninth year as an educator for Clay County Schools, holds a degree in the subject, as well as a passion.
During the 2024-2025 school year, Mrs. Blake shared the book “A History of Art in 21 Cats” by Nia Gould, with each of the 21 cats representing a different genre of art. Blake used the book as the foundation for a project for her sixth grade students. They could choose from one of eight art movements – Ancient Egyptian, Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Pointillism, Dadaism, Magic Realism, Surrealism, and Graffiti – to create their very own cat.
Students began by creating a sketch of their design. With only a plastic water bottle filled with a little sand, students used papier-mâché and their imaginations to bring their sketches to life. Mrs. Blake even kept her classroom open for students during lunch, so they could come in and work on the project outside of class time. Blake said, “The sixth grade absolutely blew me away with their creativity with this project, especially how they were able to discuss each of the art movements. It truly made me realize how much they learned and how much they really enjoyed it.”
To honor the students’ hard work, Mrs. Blake had their completed “statues” displayed in the glass cases lining the school’s main entry, so everyone could appreciate the various designs.
Thank you to Mrs. Blake for her professional creativity and dedication to the students at Clay County Middle School!
