“Funky Furniture” is a project for fifth- and sixth-grade students to paint pieces of furniture they plan to sell at an auction on May 19.


By Megan Miller

Daily Telegram Staff Writer

ADRIAN — Paint, furniture and excited sixth-graders filled the art room Tuesday at the Adrian Middle School 5/6 building in an effort to raise money for the art department by painting chairs, tables, trash cans and bookcases.

“Funky Furniture” is a project for fifth- and sixth-grade students to paint pieces of furniture they plan to sell at an auction on May 19.

Art teacher Dottie Huls said about 300 students have participated in the project over the past three grading periods. Each team of students picked a piece of furniture, and the students had to agree on the idea. Students decided everything from color to design.

Huls added that, although students picked the designs, they had to be approved by her.

The majority of the furniture was donated by parents and the school. The remaining supplies were purchased by an $825 grant Huls applied for last fall from Adrian Schools Educational Foundation. It covered everything needed for students to complete the project.

The project takes about three weeks from start to finish and along the way students learn about primer, base coats and designs. Students were graded based on creativity, effort and working with a group, Huls said.

“I don’t think they’ll ever do anything quite like this,” she said. “They’ve worked so hard.”

Sixth-graders Jennifer Marvin, Megan Bartenslager and Sierra Valdez teamed together to paint a bookcase. Marvin said they came up with their design by looking through a magazine. They saw a design on a picnic table and decided to make it their own.

Bartenslager added that they didn’t want to copy the idea right out of the book.

Their bookcase is one of 99 pieces of furniture to be auctioned on May 19.

The auction will start around 7 p.m. in the cafeteria following a spaghetti dinner hosted by the band boosters. All proceeds will go toward art enrichment projects for next year.

Huls said she hopes to use the proceeds to introduce new items and materials students wouldn’t normally be exposed to.