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Sixth graders at Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences are transforming fabric into a pond ecosystem that will remain at the school long after they leave for middle school.
The two-week project pairs the outgoing class with Leesburg-based painter and sculptor Penny Hauffe. Working alongside art teachers Joshua Saville and Sabina Shapiro, students are creating a mural from dyed and stitched fabric filled with plants and animals.
The installation is part of the school’s long-running Artist in Residence program, funded by the Hunters Woods PTA. Each year, a local artist helps sixth graders produce a permanent artwork in a different medium.
Colorful murals and sculptures from earlier classes already cover the building and grounds. Last year, students worked with Hauffe on a painted mural featuring native Virginia wildlife, now displayed in the school library. Hauffe returned this year to guide a new class through its first fabric-based project.
Students began by drawing pond life on paper using reference images for inspiration. They transferred their designs to cloth, then worked with Hauffe to dye each piece in their chosen colors. The finished images will be stitched together to form the larger ecosystem.
Their creations range from turtles, frogs and koi fish to lilies and dragonflies. Rex designed a water snake emerging from the pond as if searching for prey. Ava drew a detailed darner dragonfly, combining her enthusiasm for insects with her love of art.
“I love bugs, and I love to draw,” Ava said, describing the project as a thread connecting some of her favorite things.
Shapiro said students quickly build upon the basic information they receive, developing individual ideas that contribute to the shared work.
The project also blends science lessons with artistic practice. Students study the organisms found around ponds while strengthening their creative thinking, communication and collaboration skills.
Ava, who has attended Hunters Woods since kindergarten, said creativity is an essential part of learning and problem-solving.
Students are also learning to stitch fabric, a skill rarely introduced in elementary classrooms. Shapiro noted that sewing can carry into careers ranging from clothing production to medicine.
Saville said the school’s objective extends beyond preparing future professional artists. Art can help students explore other subjects, he said, while giving everyone a way to participate regardless of whether they prefer science, art or another field.
Once assembled, the tapestry will join the permanent collection of student work throughout Hunters Woods. For Rex, that permanence gives the assignment special meaning.
Before leaving the school, he said, he expects to stop and look at the finished installation with pride, amazed that his own drawing became part of it.