COSI exhibit to include works from Greenfield Elementary; third-grader and teacher at GES chosen for Jurassic Art show

By Angela Shepherd
GEVS

A Greenfield Elementary teacher and a student will see their original art works displayed at COSI in the Jurassic Art exhibit, which opens Nov. 2.

Third-grader Hazel Vesey and art teacher William Roller will each have a work of their own creation on display at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus. The Jurassic Art exhibit runs Nov. 2, 2024 to March 2, 2025 and will feature works from four different age categories ranging from children to adults. 

This year’s art competition called for an art piece showing what a T-Rex would look like in today's modern age. Roller’s submission is titled “Pop Art Rex” and is a piece modeled after the work of Roy Lichtenstein. Vesey’s piece is called "Old Dino, New Tricks". 

The description Vesey provided for her piece is this, “Some say you can't teach an old dino new tricks, but this T-Rex is determined to prove them wrong... maybe. In a world full of technology, this old dino might be past his prime! And the worst part is his arms are too short and the buttons are too small!”

According to Vesey’s mother, her daughter is very much excited about her work being displayed at COSI for the Jurassic Art exhibit. 

Roller previously had a piece displayed at COSI for its King Tut exhibit in 2023. He said that at the time he thought, “My dream would be having one of my student’s work hanging alongside mine or vice versa. And now it's happened,” he said, adding that he is very excited to share this honor with one of his students.

Roller said that he receives information about these competitions and always prints it out for his students and encourages them to try out. “It's really important to me that students who are interested really try. It can be pretty daunting to think about all the competition youre going up against, but I urge them to have confidence and really have fun with it. You can't be afraid of trying and putting your work out there. In the arts we don't have championship games or tournaments. These kinds of things are the equivalent for an artist. Just putting your heart on that paper and submitting it is a victory in my eyes.”

There are always good things happening at Greenfield Elementary, and you can keep up with what’s going on at the school by checking out its Facebook page. To stay informed about things going in the Greenfield Exempted Village School District, go to the district website at greenfield.k12.oh.us or go to the district’s Facebook page and other social media pages.

Below is “Pop Art Rex” by William Roller.