Beech Tree News Network

This past February 16, wasn’t designated as an official Arts day on the school calendar, but after touring the hallway murals, seeing a ceramic tile project in progress, and a visit by the Kentucky Blues Society it easily could have been. Along with some excellent academics, North Butler is blessed to have some very talented teachers and enthusiastic students involved in music and the visual arts.

Not soon after entering North Butler, the hallways come alive with giant murals of bright, humorous animal scenes, to settings of early Kentucky history. Only down the hall a few feet is the room of music teacher Sandra Crowder filled with scores of young students learning to play their own recently acquired harmonicas along with members of The Kentucky Blues Society.

Famed Kentucky Bluesman Kenny Lee Smith along with Lee Hammer and Chris Carmichael had come over for the day to entertain and educate the youngsters about the Blues. This musical part of the day was courtesy of a grant made by an anonymous donor and facilitated by the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center in Bowling Green as part of their school outreach program which is headed by Tiffany Deaton.

      Moving back up the hallway was the room of Kassie Decker filled with a crowd of eager and enthusiastic students involved in the ceramic tile project that is under the guidance of local artist Suzanne Renfrow. When completed the tile mural will serve as a backsplash to the drinking fountains. I was told that because of qualification for enrichment grants every grade at North Butler would be involved in artistic projects similar to these.

     The school day finished up with an assembly of all students in the gym sitting anxiously in the bleachers or playing along with Kenny Lee and his brother musicians. The more than 400 fired-up youngsters sounded just like young thunder!