Business, art and saving the world? It's in the bag

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

COEUR d’ALENE —The image of an Arctic fox and the words, “It doesn’t take much to save a life,” were outlined in blue on the printing screen Willow Bosley carefully touched up with her paintbrush.

"I really like Arctic foxes because my dog is like an Arctic fox because he’s so fluffy,” the Sorensen fifth-grader said Thursday morning, examining her work. "I realized that Arctic foxes are endangered, so I decided to do an Arctic fox. We were thinking of a quote, my team, and we thought that just a simple gesture could help to save something’s life, an animal’s life.

"All lives matter,” she said. “They’re kind of like humans. They don’t need to be treated differently."

Next to her, classmate Caitlin Zent used a similar sentiment in her design, which had a globe in the center surrounded by faces of different animals and a dire message on behalf of Earth's creatures: "Help us before it's too late."

"We think that people should help the animals before it’s too late and they become extinct because a lot of animals are being endangered, like the elephants. Their tusks are being taken," Caitlin said. "We chose a handful of animals — the parrot, the red panda, the Arctic fox and the elephant."

As a part of the fifth-grade artist-in-residence program, the students are focusing on the school-wide theme of Earth awareness as they create designs for reusable, raw canvas bags under the direction of Lucky Monkey owner Christina Lucky.

Lucky has been working with the students since the beginning of the month to introduce them to artistic concepts of design and print production, as well as the business aspects of creating a product and getting it on the market. The students are preparing to have the bags ready by March 8 to sell them at the Sorensen Auction and Soiree, which will be held from 6 to 11:30 that evening at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.

Lucky said that not long ago, people with fine arts degrees were somewhat limited on finding employment that used their talents and would have to work as professors or in art galleries.

"Now, there's such a wider potential for artists to even take their artwork and produce T-shirts or things that go out directly to the consumer, like I do in my own store with my designs on my T-shirts and stickers and things like that," she said. "I just wanted to show them the possibilities, all the possibilities."

Sorensen has changed its artist-in-residence programming from two all-school projects a year to one all-school program and several residencies designed for each grade level.

"Sorensen really is a unique place because the kids get a lot of exposure to the arts in a really direct way by having artists come in, performers, things like that,” Lucky said. "For me, it’s exciting to be one of those people. Both of my kids have gone to school here. This is my last year for having a child here, so I was really excited to be a part of the residency program."

Fifth-grade teacher Katie Palmer said the kids have been really motivated by this particular project.

"They know the store Lucky Monkey, so that’s been fascinating to them to hear her stories, both positive stories and negative stories," Palmer said. "One really interesting story she told was about a copyright issue, and they got really into that aspect of it."

Fifth-grader Everest Cord said he has a feeling his class is going to do well at the auction, which helps support the school.

"Usually we do a project as a school but this time fifth grade just gets to do their own project. I think it’s pretty cool. It feels pretty special," he said. "I think we might sell a lot of bags."

Auction info: www.smpto.org/activity/2019-sorensen-auction