Creative Partnership Celebrates Imagination

Something magical has been brewing. Under the glow of black lights, third-grade artists at C.V. Starr are bringing fantastical creatures to life, one piece of handmade paper at a time.

The journey began with careful planning designed by art teacher Megan Nalcerio. Students studied cartoon references, combined their favorite elements, and sketched monsters with names like Gordon, Mongie, Georgey, Drago, Little Timmy, Frank, Rose, 101, 44-60 Hockey, Gostey, Fox, Glitch Spongebob Squarepants, Clash Boy and Jefferson Junior–that ranged from silly to spooky, each one uniquely their own. With pencils in hand, they refined their ideas, selecting the best features from multiple drawings to create their final design.

As students "shopped" at The Paper Store—their collective of handmade materials—they carefully selected textures and colors to cut and glue their monsters into existence. 

“We actually made all of the paper ourselves. We colored the paper, used stencils to make patterns and used blotting paint with foam to make beautiful designs–then we cut out pieces–those pieces were used to make our monsters,” said Payton Francise.

After a month of paper-making with textured plates, crayons, bubble-wrap, and a variety of neon materials, students were excited to reap the benefits of their grade-wide group effort. The final step brought their creatures even more to life: completing character development worksheets that gave each monster a name, personality, and backstory.

“Georgey is a trickster, smart, grumpy, sneaky and a little crazy,” explained Noah Cacciolla.

“Little Timmy, my monster, is a hero, brave, and lives in a magical forest,” said Alex Alonzo.

The backstories got very elaborate and matched the personalities of their monsters.

Soon, these imaginative creations will take a field trip and travel upstairs to Wells Middle School, where Nalcerio also teaches, so older students can choose a third grader's monster, sculpt it in three dimensions, and collaborate on expanding its story. 

“It's a creative partnership that celebrates imagination, honors each young artist's vision, and reminds everyone that working together creates something greater than any of us could make alone,” said Nalcerio.