By Hazel Hurlbut 

   Seen the new murals around campus? That’s Art Club’s doing! This year, they have “a lot of young students, which has been a trend for a couple years”, says Mr. Savaglio, club director. 

   The club meets every week to work on murals or on personal projects. “If you don’t actually want to do the murals…if you want to work on an art project, you can,” says 8th grader Nicandra Acosta. 

   Recently, Art Club has been working on a new mural of the painting Women With A Parasol by Claud Monet and some watercolor projects.

   Mr. Savaglio has also had the help of Chesca Lilly for the past couple of years. She is a TPA alum who helps out with Art Club to gain experience teaching art. She says “I’m learning a lot from him as my career mentor.” She oversees the murals with some of the younger students and also just helps out wherever Mr. Savaglio needs her. She really enjoys helping out with Art Club and says “it’s been a really rewarding experience.”

   Art Club also has various contests going on. Each year they have a contest for both the design of the yearbook and the design of the next Art Club t-shirt. This year, they additionally have a contest to design a cross country t-shirt. Mr. Savaglio wants shirt designing to expand to other clubs as well. He says that “I want to encourage club directors and sports coaches to ask Art Club to design their next shirt.”

   One big improvement for the club the past few years is the new art room. Art Club has been able to work on murals inside, and then transport them outside when they are done. Mr. Savaglio says that “it’s a lot easier to hold Art Club now that we have this beautiful art room”. 

   Overall, the members of Art Club really enjoy working on the murals and projects for their contests. Nicandra Acosta, an Art Club member in 8th grade says “it’s really fun and I like it a lot.” 

   In the future, Mr. Savaglio is “ hoping to have more grants from the City of Tempe to do collaborations with working artists like we did with the raise the sword mural.” 

   Art Club meets every Thursday at 3:15, and Mr. Savaglio is always open to new members.