At Springdale Elementary School, students learned to sculpt a bust from grits from artist Ron Ferg. (l–r) Marcus Lykes, Wesley Sherwood, Parrish Shane Slice, Tyler Goette, and Hakeem Richardson

Students at Springdale Elementary School recently learned that materials for art can even come from a grocery list. Ron Ferg, noted grits artist, unveiled works of original art he had created from seven organic sources in a fifth–grade classroom .

Ferg’s organic art may soon make its way into the Guinness Book of World Records , and the artist wanted local students to be able to say they saw it first at their own school. The event was part of an end of school celebration of art at the Lexington County school.

A flower pot containing perhaps the first example of grit plant, cultivated in three dimensions by Ferg sat on an ordinary school table. Laid out next to the grit plant were African masks cast from stone–ground grits, then cured and painted.

As the artist went over each example of organic art, he had students guess what he had created it from. For the art incorporating juiced spinach, the clue was Popeye the Sailor Man. The slightly–orange color in a mask tipped students off that carrots had been used in that one.

Bright students quickly figured out which art was made from smooth white egg shells, and the texture of tree bark made fairly easy to guess. Smaller items were passed around for students to handle and guess their contents from the art’s tactile qualities.

As Ferg explained his unique process for creating art, he slipped in a few nutritional facts. When he talked about the spinach art, for instance, he discussed juicing the raw vegetable to extract all the minerals its leaves had to offer. He even promoted dental care, saying that extracting nutrients is helpful if you don’t chew so well.

So far Ferg’s research has not turned up any other artist working in as many organic mediums as he does. He has been urged to submit his body of work for world record consideration.

Ferg was one of numerous artists on hand during the school’s third annual celebration of the arts. Sounds of two classical guitars came from one classroom. A puppet show was in progress in another. During the day multiple mediums were presented, from painting to music and theatre.

Photo by Rachel Haynie