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Swift Creek students find a special way to say thank you with greeting cards

To keep herself artistically engaged during the COVID shutdown, Jeanne Schroeder turned to crafting. She began creating hand-made greeting cards to stay connected to loved ones. “Everybody loves getting a greeting card,” she said. As…

To keep herself artistically engaged during the COVID shutdown, Jeanne Schroeder turned to crafting. She began creating hand-made greeting cards to stay connected to loved ones.

“Everybody loves getting a greeting card,” she said. As the art teacher at Swift Creek Middle School, she’d tried to make cards with her students before using stamping techniques but found the old fashioned, wood-backed, rubber stamps difficult for them to use.

Stamping is an ancient printmaking process that dates to at least the fifth century. Designs were carved into wood, then inked and pressed upon textiles or paper, effectively creating a stamp. Modern innovations make the art of stamping accessible to individuals of all ages and abilities. Many stamps are now made from clear plastic, allowing the artist to see though the block to ensure that the design is properly aligned.

During quarantine, Schroeder experimented with this new style of stamp and realized they’d be perfect for her art students. She also recognized the renewed significance of a hand-made greeting card as a safe way to spread love during a difficult moment in our shared experience.

Schroeder was determined to acquire these stamps and other printmaking tools for her students so they could create their own expressions of compassion and gratitude in the form of greeting cards. “I just thought, it’s time for kindness to happen,” she said.

With no money in her classroom budget for this purpose, she applied for and received an Arts Education Grant from the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA). This year, the grant was made possible through philanthropic support from the Duke Energy Foundation’s Powerful Communities program. At a time when schools are struggling to adapt, young artists and their teachers need this kind of support more than ever.

Read the rest of the story by visiting the Tallahassee Democrat

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