South Effingham Elementary School held an art show Friday with a piece of art on display by each student.

Paul Petit, the art teacher, said the program “First ArtWorks” provides the paper for the students’ work, and double mats and frames the pieces.

“As you know we just started art this year,” Petit said. “The first couple times I met the kids it was all introduction. This was our second project ever that we worked on. It was planned to be a three cycle project, so three weeks to complete the project.”

Jessica Oberlander, a fifth grade student, said she enjoys her art class.

“I just love art,” she said. “It’s really awesome to me.”

She was happy to have her art displayed at the show.

“It’s amazing. I can’t believe that I can see my art matted and hanging,” she said.

Oberlander said she was learning to work with watercolor.

“It’s kind of hard, but it’s fun to learn,” she said. “I want to become a professional artist.”

Petit said the pieces were sent to the company and digitally recorded, and then the show was set up.

“People can order reproductions of their children’s art, and they are available for online purchase for up to a year after the art show,” he said. “The school does get 20 percent of sales, which is wonderful. We can use that money for art supplies. For the first two weeks after the show it’s the same online.”

The group also sends invitations to the art show individualized to each student with his or her art on the invitation.

“That is just a real wow moment just to see children are so excited. I can imagine at their age I would have been thrilled to get something like that an invitation to an art show with your painting on it and your name.”

Petit said he was thrilled the county finally has art for elementary schools because it “balances the whole child education.”

“We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with visual images even if we sought out a secluded meditative area we’re still inundated with vision, and no matter how big the mountain you can put your hand up and block it out.”

“I think a lot of the static and hecticness of our everyday life blocks out a lot of the natural wonders and beauty that are around,” he said. “Hopefully with some training in art, training their eye, they’ll become more aware of the beauty around them, and think of more ways to reimage that beauty or represent it in another way.”