By C.J. Vetter
BUDA – What happens when you mix little kids, neon paint and the ocean? If you guessed a wonderful art display lit up by black light, you’d have gotten it right.
As part of a schoolwide project, the students at Pfluger Elementary flexed their creative muscles and created their first ‘Glow Show’. Hosted in their art classes’ hallway, the walls are plastered with vibrant sea life, ranging from translucent jellyfish made from arts and crafts parts to the shimmering scales and shells of fish and snails. Art teacher Jody Nix helped lead the project.
“The first day was STAAR testing, so they had to be quiet. So it was more like they were in a museum or an aquarium,” Nix said. “Then the second day they didn’t have to be so quiet. They were hooping and hollering, a little too noisy.”
The idea for the project was inspired by Nix’s childhood dance recitals involving black lights and it evolved from there. However, rather than lighting up their outfits, these lamps are hung up and let a neon ocean come to life.
“Since I was a little kid, and I was taking dance lessons, and at our recital, the teacher would put black lights out and then turn off the lights and the audience would see our little outfits and our bows on our tap shoes,” Nix said. “So I’ve always just loved blacklight since then.”
Future plans for more ‘Glow Shows’ are already in the works, with future themes including the rainforest and galaxies.
