Goshen Community Schools was well represented by artists in the Storm Drain Art Project held by the City of Goshen this spring. Two teachers, Rachel Weaver and Heather Potsander, as well as a Goshen High School graduate Katarina Antal, shared their artwork with our community to encourage protecting our local water resources.

The artists were selected by a committee from artwork submitted in February. Artists were tasked with submitting artwork which would draw the public’s attention to our local waterways and the need to protect them. Each selected artist was assigned a local storm drain and the adjacent sidewalk on which to paint their chosen piece. Painting on concrete is a challenge, but add in the rainy weather we have experienced this spring and these painters deserve even greater praise for completing such beautiful and amazing works of art.

Rachel Weaver teaches 6th-grade visual arts at Goshen Middle School. Her love of water came about at an early age. She grew up living by the river, and spending summers in nearby lakes swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. In high school, she took the marine biology class and became more aware of the importance of water preservation. Rachel felt this project was an excellent way to combine her love of water, education, and art. She also wanted to set an example for her students and allow them to see the message in our community. When sharing her inspiration for this project, Rachel said, “It is important to maintain the health of our nearby water sources not just for our own recreation, but for all who rely on it to survive.”

Heather Potsander is an art teacher at Parkside Elementary School and enjoys creating artwork with elements of surprise and hidden messages.  Such hidden or surprised elements can be found in Heather’s artwork for this project.  “I want people of all ages to experience the joy children have when encountering the unexpected,” says Potsander. The natural landscape, particularly that of the Millrace Canal Trail, inspires her work. A graduate of Goshen College, Potsander also teaches private art classes from her home in Goshen.  When not teaching, she may be found knitting, sewing, or drawing with her three children and their chickens.

Katarina Antal is a graduate of Goshen High School (class of 2017). Her passion for art and interest in the environment led her to study at Ball State University, where she is currently studying Landscape Architecture. As a young girl, Katarina Antal remembers exploring the Goshen dam pond, surrounding forest trails, and riding her bike down the mill race on beautiful summer days. Katarina appreciates the Goshen Community for its support of the arts by providing opportunities for artists to engage with the community. Katarina hopes her painting will be an inspiration to others in the Goshen Community.