Embedded Files
ART at KES! Scroll down to see a sample of work from our amazing artists'! You will see most recent work at the top.
Spring clay is on the way!
Clay projects are going through the kiln again and it is like Christmas morning opening it up to see glazeware. Kindergartners are making pinch pots, and as always are using and layering glazes in such unique ways.
First and second graders looked to abstract art to inspire their clay projects this season. It was all about play and feeling out the process as they went. Some started by simply squeezing the clay in one hand and then experimenting with changing shapes. We talked about how sometimes artists have full project plans, and sometimes they make decisions as they go. We tried the latter for this project!
Kintsugi Repair
Earlier this year, First graders learned about Japanese Kintsugi (the art of broken pottery repair) to inspire their art show paintings. Now we have a Kintsugi repair kit in the art room to fix our broken pottery pieces with beautiful gold. So exciting!
Square 1 Art Orders are due April 14th in order to support KEPTA
Weaving 2026
Weaving is well underway at KES. Students looked at Wabanaki basket weaving, as well as many other weaving traditions across the world. Similar to last year, Kindergarten is weaving paper, First Grade is working on circular looms, and Second Graders warped their own looms to make tapestries.
Students in Mrs. Washburn's Second Grade class even independently discovered how to create designs by using multiple weft colors in the same row. It's even been declared a favorite activity by some artists in their group!
Superintendent's Office Feature!
The selected artworks you see below have been chosen to hang in the office of our RSU21 superintendent, Dr. Martin Grimm. Posters have been created with copies of the artwork for hanging so that artists can take home their original work. Congrats artists!
Natural Dyes
Students are now working with natural dyes, using turmeric, spinach, and hibiscus powder based dyes to create colored cotton string that they will each make a key chain with. Each student's key chain can act as a reminder of what nature provides. Natural dyes are safe, environmentally friendly, and can be very accessible.
Art Show Photos!
Our 2026 KES art show at the Brick Store Museum opened this past Saturday 2/7/2026. We had a great turn out. Thanks to the 140 people who came out for the opening and to those that will visit up until 2/26.
Take a look at the Current Issue of Tourist and Town for a magazine feature!
Printmaking
Students in Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade are all working on different methods of printmaking. Kindergarten is making their own stamps by adding foam to a cardboard surface. First graders are spreading positive messages using another form of relief printing, using Styrofoam plates to create a version of a woodblock or linocut. And second graders are making unique monoprints with Gelli plates and found objects.
Printing can be an efficient way to make art; these works were made by one second grade class in just 45 minutes!
First Grade:
KES Art Show 2026
Kennebunk Elementary School will hold an Art Show at The Brickstore Museum this year!
Images will be coming soon, but look forward to seeing Kindergarten Clay Maze Tiles, First Grade Kintsugi Inspired Objects on Paper, and Second Grade Surrealism Inspired Paintings!
Clay Animal Faces
First and Second Graders recently worked to create Clay Animal Faces, utilizing the slab building technique as well as the "Scratch to Attach" method.
Comic Strips
Artists created comic strips while they waited for their clay pieces in the kiln, turning the animal they sculpted into a character. They chose between a three-panel or six-panel comic strip to depict the parts of their story.
Kindergartners Play with Color!
Artists acted like scientists to experiment with color by mixing the secondary colors, then moved on to designing their own version of a color wheel.
It is hard to believe the first round of PreK classes is almost over!
Two of our amazing PreK groups have had art as their special since the beginning of the year, and they are making great work! Here is the most recent project inspired by Keith Haring.
Hispanic Heritage Month: Xochi Solis Collages
First Graders at KES recently learned about Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep 15, 2025 – Oct 15, 2025) and Mexican-American artist Xochi Solis. They prepared their materials by painting beautiful paper showcasing brush strokes, then cut, layered, and glued them into collages just like Solis!
Second Grade painting "en plein air"!
Second Graders learned about Georgia O'keefe and the various nature subjects she painted. Then they went outside to the fairy garden here at KES, and painted what they saw. We had lovely fall weather outdoors!
Kindergarten Line Sculptures
Kindergartners turned flat paper "lines" into 3D art objects that take up space (SCULPTURES!)
All are Represented
All are Represented
Students created their very own flags with symbols and colors that represent them individually. These individual flags came together in beautiful banners for the glass cases in the school atrium. Everyone is represented by their flag, and their belonging is communicated through art.
Scribble Transformations
2024-2025:
Self-Portraits
Students in grades K-2 all completed self-portraits after exploring the many different ways artists can express themselves.
Weaving
Students worked extremely hard on their various weaving projects. Kindergarten wove delicate paper strips, 1st graders completed ambitious circle weaving, and 2nd graders warped their own looms and made tapestries.
K
K
Paper Weaving
1
1
Circle Weaving
2
2
Tapestry
Symmetry
Students created symmetrical preliminary artworks and then all created symmetrical (or asymmetrical) necklaces with hand decorated wooden beads.
For Lunar New Year, students dove into "Year of the Snake" projects, which included using Gelli Plates to create monoprints! This year, Lunar New Year is January 29th.
Wabanki Stories
Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade each read a different Wabanki story. The tales focused on animals and nature, which inspired clay fish, turtles, bears & caves. See the links below to read a version of each of the stories!
K: www.islandinstitute.org/island-journal/islands-of-the-dawnland/
1st Grade: openmindproject.com/2013-11-05-20-45-30/262-native-american-cast-of-characters/539-tolba-the-turtle
2nd Grade: www.indigenouspeople.net/mooin.htm
K- Fish
1st- Turtles
2nd- Bears & Caves (Boxes)
Students experienced a week of choice stations, where they worked in a variety of different media. Some chose to paint animals (pictured right)
Students created 8 Page "About the Artist" Zines from single sheets of paper. A zine (pronounced ZEEN) is a self-published, small-circulation work of art that can include images, text, and other creative materials. Zines are often made by a single person or small group, and are usually photocopied.
Kindergarten continued their exploration of color, learning how to mix secondary colors.
Pre K students at KES will come to art class for a nine week session throughout the year. Currently Pre K artists are exploring artworks by Yayoi Kusama and Alma Thomas!
A sneak peek from the kindergarten artists at KES. We are starting an exploration of color, beginning with the Primary Colors. Students are creating 3D line sculptures utilizing these special colors while mastering their paper bending and gluing skills.
Second grade artists are focusing on creating color wheels! Students are painting with the primary colors and will begin mixing the secondary colors in the coming weeks.
To start off our year first graders read The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds and created their own dot inspired artworks, all framed in swirly gold.
For a video tour of the Kennebunk Elementary School art show from 2022 at the Brick Store Museum Click Here!
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