After hearing about the South Plains Electric Cooperative art grant designed to support the Lubbock community, Jana Garrison, an art teacher at Terra Vista Middle School, applied for her first grant. 

Garrison wanted her students to learn more about the community they are growing up in and how involved businesses are with schools. She contacted businesses to ask if they would be interested in art made by her students, and they loved the idea. After some research, Garrison constructed a project for her students to paint the art for local businesses and received a $500 art grant from SPEC for paint and canvases.  

Garrison and her students started compiling businesses that support TVMS, such as McDonald's and Dominos, as well as some of the businesses their parents work for. The students in Garrison’s art class split into groups of their choice or worked individually. First, the students made sketches and designed their painting on paper. Once the students decided on a design, Garrison discussed the techniques and the process of transferring sketches into paintings. The paintings were completely the students' decisions and their designs, Garrison was just there to assist with technical art questions. 

“The students were so proud as the project started to come to life,” said Garrison. “It was fun to watch their excitement grow as they worked through the process of designing and executing the paintings.”  

After completing the project, Garrison took the art pieces to the business for them to hang in their buildings.  

The library at TVMS has a new painting by Elena Espinosa that represents her love for the book ‘Outsiders’ by S.E. Hinton. The front office has a painting from Ryu Gauna and Jordan Carrington of the Frenship Tiger. One student’s painting was made to go in the Children's Hospital at Covenant. She was in tears when Covenant sent her a message thanking her for the beautiful artwork that they hung in the Child Life Office.  

This was a fun and creative way for TVMS art students to learn how involved the community and local businesses are with the school.  

“It is important for the students to learn about the community, but also for the community to see the good in our students,” said Garrison.