Our History
Our History
Beginnings:
Gahanna Lincoln Community Art class began in 2015 as a Community Impact Visual Art Course. Board-approved as a full year credit for any student requiring a Visual or Performing Art credit. The class was initially created for juniors and seniors who wanted to increase the presence of the Arts in the Gahanna Community.
The first year saw a great group of young people extremely motivated to make their mark on the City. Beginning with a couple of weeks of brainstorming project ideas, we also came up with our motto, "The sky's the limit!" as we worked together limitlessly to see what we could come up with. After that unrefined brainstorming list, we learned, as a team, what might be feasible to accomplish in one year--both time-wise and monetarily.
This first group of students were VERY driven, so, in addition to their other community projects, they decided they wanted to plan and execute a Community-wide art fair featuring music, movement, and visual art for their final exam. The Herb n' Arts Fair was born! (Gahanna is the Herb Capital of Ohio, so that was the students' creative play on words). The main goals for the Herb n' Arts Fair were to not only feature the Arts, but to make the experience entirely FREE for the participants.
We had no money, no donors, and no-one had heard of us, but these young people were motivated and determined!! So, our next steps were to figure it all out! The students researched and applied for grants, sought out donors, and even went door to door to area businesses to raise the money we needed for this huge undertaking. Students divided into groups taking charge of planning 6 hours of musical performances, 20 craft stations, games, food trucks, and publicity. We met with City officials, representatives from the Gahanna Parks and Recreation Department, and many businesses to learn the process of holding such an event. Three of the students in the group also decided to re-do the Creekside Bridge Murals under the Creekside Bridge which had last been made in 2010 and needed a refresher. These students organized all 14 art teachers in the District K-12 to each create a 6' x 12' mural on primed non-woven interfacing, calculated, ordered and distributed paint, and figured out the layout and installation of the murals which were dedicated at the Herb n' Arts Fair.
Throughout the year, the students worked closely with our GLHS SWAG (School to Work Advanced Graphics) class who designed all of our publicity and signage, and with GLHS FabLab who fabricated all of the items the SWAG class designed--a fantastic collaboration which continues to this day!
Truly an amazing group of students!!!
The Herb n' Arts Fair was a HUGE Community success and the students in GLHS Community Art continued with this event for 8 subsequent years, getting a bit bigger each time.
Subsequent years:
Each year, the passionate GLHS Community Art students began with brainstorming--many of the students in subsequent years took the class for a second time. And, eventually, the class was opened to students grade 9-12, so some students were able to take the class all four years--once they got the Community Art bug, they were committed!
Over time, the students wanted to become self-sustaining financially and did not want to keep relying on the generosity of our consistent donors. So, after researching ways they might be able to make that happen, the students decided to hold an annual Holiday Hoopla Craft Fair. We opened it up to any vendor of handmade crafts. We average 70 vendors of handmade craft items each year! For the Holiday Hoopla, the students decide on floor layout, process the vendor fees, create publicity, communicate with vendors, create craft stations for kids, work on Hoopla day tending to the vendors and shoppers. This past year, we had more than 1000 shoppers!
And for the past two years, we have been COMPLETELY financially self-sustaining!! The money that we earn from the Holiday Hoopla pays for ALL of the supplies for all of the projects we do throughout the City, AND for the spring community event--the Herb n' Arts Fair, which has been replaced by a newer, slightly smaller version--the Arty Party! In the spring of 2025, we also held the Puppypalooza at Pizzurro Park to raise money for CHA Animal Shelter! Such fun!
Please visit our Community Impact page to see what a difference the students in this class have made in the City of Gahanna with their wide variety of projects and events. And visit our Donor page to see the list of wonderfully generous donors who have made all of this possible.
Impact on students:
The students in this class learn:
That they truly CAN make a difference in their own community
How to be fiscally responsible
How to process money
How to successfully apply for grants
That many things ARE possible when you make the right connections
How to communicate effectively as an adult
How to follow through with a commitment from conception to completion
The importance of deadlines
How to value other people's time and money
The importance of gratitude and recognition of important people
How to plan an event from start to finish
How to plan for a project from start to finish
The importance of being PRESENT--physically and emotionally
Alumni of this class have gone on into the following careers as a direct result of their Community Art class experience:
Museum curating
Graphic design
Event planning
Marketing
Art teaching
Community service
Arts advocacy
The GLHS Community Art class is a wonderful learning environment where creative and passionate students become empowered to make a lasting impact on their community.
Thank you for the years of community support and excitement for this unique Gahanna Lincoln High School Visual Art class!
It has been a tremendous experience!
-Sharon Iseringhausen, GLHS Community Art founder and teacher