COVINGTON — When Pete Jaquish visits a Covington grade school, it's not unusual for children to flock to him bearing samples of their artwork.

        Jason Huff, a fifth-grader, beamed last Thursday as he showed off a sketch he had completed since “Mr. Pete's” last visit to Ninth District Elementary.

        “Man, you're an artist!” the pony-tailed art instructor said.

        Mr. Pete is a Covington artist who teaches weekly art classes at four public and four Catholic elemen tary schools in Covington. Through a six- to 10-week program run by the Covington recreation department, the 47-year-old artist spends 15 hours a week teaching art to fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. He also teaches at an after-school program at Covington Community Center.

Visiting artist Peter Jaquish discusses symmetry and asymmetry in art with fourth-grader Ray Cody (center) as Stephen Turner looks on at John G. Carlisle School in Covington. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Teachers are grateful for the visiting artist because their schools, like many in Kentucky, lack a full-time art teacher.

        In spite of that, Kentucky requires its public schools to test fifth-graders on the arts and humanities as part of a statewide testing program.

        “Across the state, those scores traditionally have been low, so it's very important for our students to have exposure to art instruction in some form,” said Lisa Gross, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education.

        Although Ms. Gross could not say how many schools lack full-time art teachers, she said the number is significant enough that state educators are encouraging schools to rely on artist-in-residence programs when possible.

        Last spring, Denny Bowman, Covington's new recreation director, approached Mr. Jaquish, who had been selling his artwork since age 18, about teaching the classes.

        Mr. Jaquish, a retired Covington public works foreman and print maker, had never taught art, but he had coordinated the painting of several community murals.

        The city covers the $18,000 cost of the in-school art program, and an after-school art program at the Covington Community Center, through federal Community Development Block Grant money.

        Mr. Bowman said principals were excited about Mr. Jaquish's help.

        “Whenever schools get in a financial bind, the first thing that goes is art and music,” Mr. Bowman said.

        Pat Leonard, principal of Holy Family Catholic School, said her school's art classes build self-es teem as well as knowledge.

        “The children are very proud of what they've accomplished,” she said. “They enjoy displaying their artwork in the halls.”

        The program is so popular that Mr. Bowman plans to start art instruction for Covington senior citizens in January.

        “Not everybody's an artist, but (Mr. Pete) can find something good in all the students' work,” said Pat Surber, a fifth-grade teacher at Ninth District.

        Added 10-year-old Tina Mitchell, a student there: “He's always real patient with us. He'll keep trying with us till we get it.”

        Mr. Jaquish said that he likes to encourage his students to do a lot of risk-taking and experimentation.

        “I enjoy sharing with the students,” he said. “And I get encouragement from them to try new things in my own work.”

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