Local students take part in 1,000 Horses project

Visual arts students from Kingstree Senior High and the Governor’s School joined students and faculty from across the nation to mold clay horses in the style of Mycenaean (early Greek) votive offerings.

The horses will be on exhibition until April 27, at Williamsburg HomeTown Chamber before being sent for inclusion in an exhibition, Making/History: The Trojan Horse Project, at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. A reception will be held at the Chamber to honor the student artists on April 27, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Kingstree High School students who participated in the project were Harley Barnes, Ebone’ Brown, Dae’yaughn Burgess, Kimbreana Burgess, Telly Capalite, Quaneeshia Cooper, Daniel Elmore, Trevon Gibson, Chyna Giles, Quinlan Giles, Shivam Goswami, Jennifer Graham, Takela Johnson, Aaliyah Major, Keiondrea McCrea, Torrence Nelson, David Powell, Esteven Rodriguez, Alexis Shaw Mercedes Shaw, Chris-Ann Bassell, Ny’Claysia West, Eddie Williams, and Willie Wilson.

The students learned about the historical context of the Trojan horse and about art from the time period in which the Trojan horse was believed to have been created (1180 BC) before creating the clay pieces. Art teacher Tamu Clayton was behind the process. I choose students who are very focused and would complete their art and do a wonderful job,” said Clayton. She said the students were shown how to knead the clay and work with it.

The medium was something new to Keiondrea McCrea but she was open to the art form. “I caught on pretty quickly,” said the ninth grader whose horse is adorned with strips. “At first I thought I’ll never be able to do this, but I did it anyway. I had a lot of fun doing it.”

Chris-Ann Bassell is experienced in pottery. “I worked with it in primary school where we made pots,” said the junior. However, this art project was different. “I didn’t expect that it would be a horse but when they showed us the history and how to make it, that’s what was fun, doing it with everybody else and it didn’t seem as hard as I first thought it would be.”

Dae’Yaughn Burgess can’t wait to display their work in D.C. but at the same time he is a bit nervous. “This is a well known place,” said the freshman. “People from D.C., like higher ups, will be looking at my work and I’m not going to know what they’re thinking and how they will react.”

Telly Capalite enjoyed the chance to participate in the project. “I thought it was real inspiring,” said the ninth grader. “It’s like you’re mixing history with art and making it into something beautiful. It’s not like a history class would be. It was fun while doing it and in the process while doing it, you picked up a new trade.”

The Duke Energy Foundation supported the project. According to the website, the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities cultivates young artists from across the state through pre-professional training in the areas of creative writing, dance, drama, music, and visual arts. As a public, residential high school, serving juniors and seniors, students refine their talents in a master-apprentice community while receiving a nationally recognized academic education.

The Governor’s School also serves as a resource to all teachers and students in South Carolina, offering comprehensive outreach programs, designed to bring together artists, educators, community organizations and schools. For more information about the Trojan Horse Project, visit www.handshouse.org/1000horses/.