By Sahara Lyon

Noelle Stillman, a teaching artist at Tallahassee Classical School, is one of three teachers at the institution who received grants through COCA’s Arts Education Grant Program, funded in part through the Duke Energy Foundation. Stillman’s project involved students recreating sections of The Bayeux Tapestry in collaboration across grade levels. The project was completed at the end of the school year, and teachers and students decide where each work will be displayed around the school.

Stillman described the initial idea as a beautification and place-making project for the campus. Stakeholders, such as students, teachers, and administrators, came together to select the work students would collaboratively create. The Bayeux Tapestry, a 230-foot-long artwork,is representative of classical education, and it allows students to explore the work while incorporating the school’s culture into the surrounding environment. In addition, the work directly correlates with the school’s curriculum, and the large-scale tapestry allowed students to look at and interact with several scenes.

Stillman wanted the project to be collaborative because it helps students learn the intrinsic values of arts education. For example, Stillman explained that students learned the importance of teamwork and creative problem-solving through the project, both arts education values that aren’t immediately apparent at the surface level. Students also could put their own spin on the work, specifically through the color palette used in each tapestry. When asked if she’s looking to continue this project into the future, Stillman stated, “Oh yeah, I think it’s critical for students to have the opportunity to collaborate on a regular basis.” 

For Stillman and Tallahassee Classical, giving students a sense of ownership in the project was incredibly important. Stillman stated, “Students are the most important stakeholders in education,” elaborating that there is so much value in allowing students to come into a space and see something they’ve created. The tapestry project was a place-making one, and giving students an active role in place-making makes them hands-on participants in shaping the space they occupy. Stillman also stated that this tapestry project is now part of the school’s legacy, and the students also have a role in that ongoing legacy.

Multiple tapestries display different sections of the original 230-foot-long work and will rotate locations throughout the school. One, Stillman explained, is up in the cafeteria because it displays William the Conqueror’s feast, with people dining and talking over a long table. For the other locations, Stillman will work with her colleague, Robert Yorke, who also received a COCA Arts Education Grant, to decide where the works will go.

Stillman explained that this project was just one example of the value of arts education for students. She stated that the main importance is “having opportunities for students to learn how to express their voice in a way that is constructive and creative.” Even if a student doesn’t pursue art as a career in the future, Stillman explained that it’s essential that each child knows they “have a capacity to create.” She elaborated that creative problem-solving can be used in all fields throughout a student’s life, not just the arts.

As aforementioned, Stillman was one of three teachers at Tallahassee Classical School to apply for and receive Arts Education Grants through COCA’s program. As previously stated, the other two teachers are Robert Yorke and Norman Young. COCA is always happy to support arts teachers’ projects for their students, and we look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come!

Look for the article on the Tallahassee Democrat’s website, coming at a later date.