The Coweta County School System is making an artistic statement in a local

business.

Za'Kerrious Bowles, who attends Ruth Hill Elementary School, painted

a picture of the historic Coweta County courthouse that he donated to Cargill

for display.He is one of 20 Coweta County elementary, middle and high school

students whose artwork adorns the offices of the Coweta County industry.

Cargill was so impressed by the rendering that it framed the artwork and

donated $2,000 to the art programs at Ruth Hill Elementary, Arnall Middle

and East Coweta High School.

"It is a better way to spend our company's budget for office art," says

General Manager Brad Down, "and it produces better, more meaningful

art for us than anything we could buy in a store."

Cargill plans to ask the schools for more artwork later this year, and will

encourage other Coweta County businesses to do the same, for what Cargill

now calls the "Off the Wall" art program.

Down had the idea for "Off the Wall" when he worked with Cargill

in Hazelton, Penn.When faced with how to spend an office art budget, he

wondered if it wouldn't be more useful to partner with local school

art programs, while at the same time obtaining original artwork on local

subjects.He decided to try the same approach at the Newnan plant.

"What better way to put art on our walls than to tap into student talent

right here in Coweta County?" he said.

Students in Richard Hill's East Coweta High art class provided ten

posters of local photography. The $1,000 donation the school received from

Cargill is funding an exhibition of student work at the Carter Center Nov.

7. Thanks to Cargill, this event will create national exposure for these

young artists from East Coweta, Newnan and Northgate High Schools, participants

in the Georgia High photography program. They are the very same students

whose photography posters are displayed at Cargill.

"Because of what Cargill is doing here, our students will have an experience

they might not otherwise have," said Hill.

Denise Marsh's Arnall students received a $300 donation that funded

additional art materials and equipment for students' use. Students Tony

Frost, Noah Fang and Adam Oothoudt's paintings were displayed.

Heather Corley's class at Ruth Hill received a $700 donation, doubling

Corley's art materials budget for her students. Additionally, the gift

helped fund a field trip this year. Students Za'Karrious Bowles, Wendell

Arnold, Alberry Melson, Rashema Barnes, O'Darius Pittman, Andrea Holloway

and Mark East all contributed artwork.

Cargill conducted the first "Off the Wall" program as a contest.They

chose students from three schools and asked art teachers to participate.

They asked that several students submit artwork of either a local Coweta

County theme, or along the theme of "feeding the world" to fit

Cargill's mission. Plant employees then held a contest to choose which

would be framed and displayed.

"Its something that every company can do and should," said Down. "Everyone

spends money on artwork for their office.Why not let schools benefit?It's

something a big industry or a small business can do."

Cherie Young, Owner of Angele's Gallery and Framing at Newnan Station,

provided the matting and framing of the young artists' work.

A recent reception for the first Off the Wall artists, including students,

teachers and parents, honored the students for their contributions.Many

of the parents were as excited as the students.