District Art Teachers Take Funding Into Their Own Hands After Budget Cuts to Their Department

Sheri Vela (right) draws with chalk outside La Bohemia during Big Art Day.

Upon the concrete path outside La Bohemia, a boutique and gallery downtown, Ms. Sheri Vela sits and draws "Welcome to Big Art Day" in blue and purple chalk, while Ms. Ashley Treviño prepares a table of snacks and drinks inside. The two are art teachers at Del Rio High School, and their shared purpose this first Friday night of March is two-fold: 1) to celebrate student artists, and 2) to bring recognition to the district for their advocacy of the arts. The night is a colorful celebration of creativity, but it’s purpose is motivated by struggle. 

At the end of last school year, a decision came from the SFDR-CISD school board to cut art education at their elementary schools in half. Before the decision was officially made, talks of it had spread and a movement began. A group of district art educators appeared before the board to express their dissent in the form of a banner signed by students who wanted continued support for the arts. Ultimately, a blow came to the elementary art teachers, and district-wide art funds, causing some instructors to leave the district for good. 

Fast forward to the present, and hope builds in the hearts of district art teachers for one reason: there’s a plan in motion. By aligning the district art department with an association of school systems who are awarded for fostering a rich experience of the visual arts for their students, there’s a chance to earn the funding they need. 

Here’s the deal. The Texas Art Education Association awards school districts that show strong advocacy of the arts. Ms. Vela, Ms. Treviño, and their fellow "art leaders" plan to work that much harder and make up the deficit for their students. Big Art Day is an example of the kind of efforts they’ll ramp up to enliven the art community in their schools. 

"Today is our First Friday Art Walk, but what makes it so much more unique is that we registered the event through the TAEA to have our Big Art Day. We are trying to become a [District of Distinction] in the state of Texas. Hopefully this will help us out with funding," Ms. Sheri Vela tells Connect Del Rio.

Big Art Day participants across Texas celebrate their local art scenes in however way they choose. And in Del Rio, the DRHS art department cooked up a competition for its students to design the cover art of a single by local band La Historia de Un Juan. La Historia de Un Juan performed the single, "Procure Me" (a Portuguese title), in La Bohemia’s courtyard before announcing the winner of the competition, Eligio Flores, a high school senior. On top of having his artwork featured with the release of the song, Eligio won a $150 prize. 

Eligio Flores (right) is awarded top prize by musician Juan Eduardo Mireles (left) of La Historia de Un Juan

Meanwhile, inside the shop, dozens of art pieces by high school students lined the walls of La Bohemia’s gallery space. Ashley Trevino, owner of the shop, understands art to be the gateway to a range of careers. She designs and screen prints some of the products on the shop tables herself. 

"There are so many careers that come out of learning art. You’re talking about landscapers, architects, engineers. You have to have a background in art, because creativity is nurtured in art…When the budgets are cut, we have to reduce what we’re teaching them," she laments.

Sheri Vela says that she's felt the pressure of a reduced amount of allocated funds for her department over time.

"I know that when I started with the district, my funding was really, really great. And now it is very difficult to get a certain amount of supplies," she says. But even through the circumstances, her students are finding recognition from larger institutions outside Del Rio.

"One of my students was elected to be showcased in the Bullock Museum in Austin. So that’ll be showcased, actually, this weekend!" she says through a beaming smile. 

As the sun set behind La Bohemia and the night (seemingly) was drawing to a close, the live music kept on vibing and the amount of people only grew, brought together by the many types of artistry on display.

Lazer Sanchez performs a Bob Dylan number while kids and adults alike chalk draw outside La Bohemia during Big Art Day.

The school district’s art advocates still have some time, and some work to do, before learning if SFDR-CISD is determined by the TAEA to be a District of Distinction in August. But one message is being made clear already, as stated by Vela: "The arts are important to our society and should not be dismissed."