If you haven't been by there already, you may want to check out the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce's artist — or in this case, artists — of the month.

Students in grades K-8 from Cottonwood Valley Charter School got creative in art class and now their poster-size creations depicting subjects from pop culture portraits to landscapes and prairie chickens cover the north wall of the chamber.

Cottonwood Valley Charter School art teacher Iva O'Connor said she didn't know this was a venue to showcase her students' artwork.

"It's great," O'Connor said smiling. "It helps them (the students) work toward something."

The students used a variety of mediums from pastels, charcoal, acrylics and watercolors to bring their visions to life.

O'Connor said she often takes the students on walking field trips so they can "draw from life."

By viewing the landscapes, vegetation and the different animals, students take what they see and transfer those images to paper.

Michaelyne Wilkinson pointed out her picture of a prairie chicken she had created using pastels.

"I looked outside and that's just the way it looked," Wilkinson said of her artwork.

Hasan El Shawaihdi said he thinks he may want to be an artist when he grows up and based on his artwork, he's sure to succeed.

"I always draw," El Shawaihdi said.

The seventh-and eighth-grade students also got creative with clay, and made masks in different shapes and sizes and then painted them to perfection.

Student Donald Guerro, who created one of the masks on display, said sometimes boredom gets his creative juices flowing and he just starts creating something artistic. He said the whole process from start to finish on the masks took about three to four days.

"We used the clay to make the mask one day and then painted it the next," Guerro said.

"Then we put on a glossy coat and fired it," said middle school student Maggie Kerkmans.

When asked what their type of art was, several said they enjoyed using different mediums to make their pictures.

"I think it was more fun to draw," Guerro said. "It's easier to be creative."

Chamber Director Terry Tadano said in a May 11 telephone interview that they have invited all the students to create works of art through their school and put them on display at the Chamber.

"We're very supportive of the community and our youth," Tadano said. "Whatever we can do as a chamber we want to."

The students artwork will be on display through the month of May. The Chamber of Commerce is located at 101 Plaza and is open Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact Jackie Schlotfeldt