ROCK HALL — With the assistance of the Kent Cultural Alliance, the new art room at Rock Hall Elementary School has received an important upgrade.

As part of the now-complete targeted renovations at Rock Hall Elementary School, a brand-new art room was created.

The project involved taking out a locker room in the building that was previously a middle school and turning it into Art Teacher Teresa Jetton's new classroom.

While Rock Hall Elementary School students have been creating works of art out of clay for more than two decades under Jetton's instruction, the kiln used to finish the projects was aging out.

Thanks to the Kent Cultural Alliance and the generosity of two donors, a brand-new kiln was installed last month at Rock Hall Elementary School.

"The addition of a state-of-art kiln has brought with it a new sense of joy and creativity that was missing during our COVID time," Jetton said. "Every student at Rock Hall Elementary School will be making and glazing a clay project this spring."

The entire cost of the kiln and its installation, more than $4,000, was covered by the Kent Cultural Alliance ArtsEd Fund and donations from Caroline Gabel, in memory of Tom McHugh, and from local sculptor and potter Marilee Schumann. McHugh founded the Mainstay theater in Rock Hall and helped launch the Arts in Motion program in Kent County Public Schools.

John Schratwieser, director of the Kent Cultural Alliance, helped coordinate the effort for the new kiln.

"I personally want to thank Marilee Schumann, Caroline Gabel and John Schratwieser for making this happen and I am eternally grateful to Tom McHugh for his support over the years," Jetton said.