ArtsNatchez donates $500 in art supplies to local classrooms

By Roscoe Barnes III
Natchez, MS, USA / ListenUpYall.com
Aug 21, 2026 | 1:01 PM

ArtsNatchez Gallery recently donated $500 worth of art supplies to two classrooms in the Miss-Lou area. Posing with the donated supplies, from left, are Judy Uzzetta, Armand Saiia, Katherine Parker, Connie Burns, art teacher Wilshonda Johnson, Joe Johnson, art teacher Amanda Coley, Sheri Perry-Brown, Michelle Bryant, and Carolyn Weir. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- ArtsNatchez Gallery recently donated $500 worth of art supplies to two first-year art teachers and their classrooms in Natchez and Vidalia.

The supplies were presented at the gallery to Amanda Coley, an art teacher at Vidalia High School, and Wilshonda Johnson, an art teacher at Natchez Middle School.
 
Both teachers said they were grateful to ArtsNatchez and look forward to sharing the supplies with their students.

“This donation means the difference between actually teaching students to create art like artists and just teaching art theory with no hands-on experience,” said Coley. “This donation means that students can immerse themselves in the creative process while learning to utilize different mediums.” 

Johnson expressed her gratitude for the gift and the impact it would have on her classroom. She said the supplies will provide her students with opportunities and creative ways to express themselves.
 
“Your generosity gives my students the tools to explore, experiment, and express their artistic voices with confidence and joy,” Johnson said. “I’m truly grateful — your support doesn’t just supply our classroom, it fuels every bold, brilliant masterpiece they’re ready to create.”
 
The donated items include drawing paper, mixed media paper, and watercolor paper, along with chalk pastels, drawing pencils, colored pencils, canvases, and acrylic paint. The teachers also received pens, erasers, sharpeners, and watercolor for the middle school classroom.
 
“The students are going to love it,” said Johnson, flashing a big smile. “They ask every day, ‘When are we going to paint?’”
 
ArtsNatchez member Carolyn Weir said the donation reflects how the generosity of local artists can become something tangible for two area classrooms to help the students prepare for the new school year.
 
“Both teachers had recently reached out to the community through Facebook, asking for help stocking their new art classrooms,” Weir said. “Like many public-school art teachers, they face the challenge of creating meaningful art experiences for their students with very limited classroom supplies and often must purchase materials themselves or rely on donations.”
 
Thankfully, said Weir, ArtsNatchez was in a position to help because of a fundraiser that began two years earlier. She noted the nonprofit organization hosted a special event in 2024 during which proceeds from donated artwork sold at the event were earmarked specifically for providing art supplies to local students.
 
The gallery held those funds until it found the right opportunity to put them to use, she said.
 
According to Weir, school art programs, elementary through high school, are an important focus for ArtsNatchez.
 
“Supporting artists has always been central to the mission of ArtsNatchez Gallery, but that mission extends beyond the professional artists whose work hangs in the gallery,” she said. “We believe in supporting the next generation of artists begins in local classrooms. By helping teachers provide students with access to art materials and creative opportunities, ArtsNatchez hopes to encourage young people to explore their creativity and discover the value of making art.”
 
ArtsNatchez Gallery is located at 425 Main St. It is open daily at 10 a.m. For more information, call 601-442-0043.