News from Grand Valley State University
An individual laughs, with a hot glue gun and craft bin seen in the foreground.

Art Buddies: Lakers work with special education students to create playful art pieces

Grand Valley art education students celebrated the conclusion of the two-semester Art Buddies program with a showcase in early April. Art Buddies is a hands-on program in which GVSU students work with special education students to create art.

Katalin Zaszlavik, the associate professor leading the program, said Art Buddies is built into the curriculum of her Introduction to Art Education and Curriculum Development and Practice courses.

The theme for this year’s Art Buddies group was play. During the program, Lakers worked to create a curriculum and plan projects for their students. They then worked alongside the students to help them create their art pieces. The projects included a memory card game, a playground scene, a puzzle and puppets for a puppet show.


This photo essay captures the end-of-year showcase of the group's work.

Two individuals hug joyfully while standing in an art gallery filled with others.
Art Education major Neva Hundt hugs Ottawa Area ISD special education student Mason Werdon as part of a Stuart B. and Barbara H. Padnos Student Art Gallery exhibition reception with artwork from Katalin Zaszlavik's ART 333 class on March 24. The two worked on artwork as part of "Art Buddies" art education project.
Three individuals look at the collage of drawings on the wall, with one pointing to a drawing.
Art Education majors Nevaeh Scrivnor, center, and Esther Carpenter, left, look at artwork with Ottawa Area ISD special education student Renee Potter as part of a Stuart B. and Barbara H. Padnos Student Art Gallery exhibition reception with artwork from Katalin Zaszlavik's ART 333 class on March 24. The artwork is part of "Art Buddies" art education project.

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