Third grade teachers at Rowe Elementary School collaborated with teaching artist Cat LaBarre on a Side x Side program that integrated drawing and sculpture into a Wabanaki studies unit called, “Take Me to the River.” During the program, students learned about the Presumpscot River, the ecological makeup of the surrounding areas, and the profound impact of dams on migratory species of fish and people who utilize our waterways. Focusing on Atlantic salmon, students learned about their anatomical structure and reproductive life cycle, created scientific drawings with the school’s art teacher Jean Rank, and then worked with Cat LaBarre to create lifelike sculptures of salmon using paper-mâché and paint. The finished salmon sculptures were exhibited at the Portland Public Library’s Camden National Bank Community Gallery during a First Friday Art Walk in May!

This program was supported by Side x Side, the Maine Humanities Council, the Maine Arts Commission, and the Portland Public Library.