January 27, 2025 – Hundreds of students, their families, and Clovis Unified staff gathered in the Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) Professional Development Building this week to celebrate the accomplishments of promising art students in the district.
Two students from each grade level at each CUSD elementary school were selected based on the best art pieces they could compile, culminating in over 500 art selections from schools all over the district.
“I think it’s just a real tribute to the arts,” stated Betsy Pavich, the Visual Arts Facilitator and a teacher for the Visual and Performing Arts program at CUSD. Pavich highlighted that CUSD is one of few districts that offers this opportunity for elementary students, with many school districts choosing to only celebrate junior high and high school students.
Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator Geoffrey Dean also agreed with this sentiment. He explained, “For many students, this is going to be the catalyst that makes them want to be an artist.”
Monday, January 27, was the first night on which the art show took place, dividing students into various date and time frames depending on their school location.
The schools honored on this night were Cedarwood, Clovis, Gettysburg, Jefferson, Mickey Cox, Red Bank, Sierra Vista, and Weldon Elementary Schools, as well as Clovis Community Day School and Clovis Online School.
The following two nights featured other school locations throughout CUSD, celebrating the artistry of 37 elementary schools overall.
Each event was packed with hundreds of children and their families, all excited to celebrate the efforts of the CUSD students. Though the event was separated into 3 evenings and two time blocks for each night, the building left standing room only for latecomers as individuals poured into the room before the event.
Students were called to the front of the room in groups for their school and asked to provide their name and the grade they were in. Some little ones nervously shied away from the microphone while others proudly announced themselves to the crowd, parents and grandparents squeezing tightly between people to get a photo or video of their kids.
After giving their name and grade, each student was given a rainbow-colored ribbon to display their accomplishments.
After each school’s students had been announced, parents were given a one-minute window to take photos of their little one, during which families and school staff excitedly rushed to the front to capture the special moment.
But even when the ceremony was finished, the night hadn’t quite finished yet – families went to view the student’s artwork down the hallway, hundreds of portraits adorning the walls of the building.
“This is one of the most public spaces because the board room is here, so these halls are constantly [busy],” Dean continued, touching on the significance of displaying the artwork in the building.
Pavich agreed with Dean’s sentiment, remarking, “It’s the idea that these students are being recognized. You know, it’s not just in the cafeteria or in your classroom; this is a big deal.”
Next year, Pavich and Dean look forward to helping plan the next event – and instead of splitting the event into a spring semester and fall semester art show, they plan to bring them together into one major annual event.
This will allow more space for the event, splitting it up into several consecutive events, and more artwork to be displayed on the walls.
The two are also enthusiastic about families being able to see the artwork at the Professional Development Building. The artwork will be displayed through April 1st of this year, and community members are encouraged to visit during regular school hours to see the student’s artistic talents.