First- and second-grade students from Dana Road Elementary are having their artwork shown off at the new Vicksburg Animal Shelter.

The students’ art teacher, Virginia Gage Thames, helped establish a partnership with the shelter to have the art work shown on a rotational basis.

“We are going to create a, between the school and the animal shelter, just kind of a community partnership where we donate seasonal artwork to the animal shelter,” Thames said.

The frames housing the artwork can be easily opened and changed out, so new students will get the chance to have their artwork seen by the public.

“My cousin, Marilyn Terry (was president of the Friends of the City of Vicksburg Animal Shelter), and she reached out to me last school year.”

Terry had the idea of having the students donate artwork to the shelter.

Students will be making artwork of animals with a seasonal theme like Christmas, Halloween, or summer.

Four of the 60 students whose art is being shown were in attendance at the new shelter’s ribbon- cutting ceremony Thursday.

Mila Franklin, Madison Norfort, Benjamin Hardinson, and Darius Course were invited to show off their Christmas and winter themed drawings of cats and dogs at the event.

To help the students in their artistic endeavors, Thames instructed them with directional drawings. Students followed along with Thames’s drawing at first, but were then encouraged to show their creativity to make the pieces their own.

“I love to incorporate lots of rich colors, techniques, and a variety of mediums,” Thames said.

She added that she is proud of what her students have accomplished.

“They make me so happy every time I see their artwork because I know that they have put their best effort forward. And every painting is beautiful and perfectly made. I always call each and every one of them a master artist because they truly are.”

Thames added that the partnership has been a positive experience for her students.

“The students, seeing their animal art framed on the walls, truly made it special for them,” Thames said.

The artwork can be viewed at the recently opened Vicksburg Animal Shelter at 65 Cedars Road.