Die Künstler (the artists) von Fredericksburg donated $500 to the Fredericksburg Middle School (FMS) art department and an etching press was purchased with the funds.
“We wanted to help kids at the middle school level get involved in art,” Donna Lafferty, Die Künstler von Fredericksburg president said. “We believe in the preservation of education opportunities to the city.”
The press is a Blick Econo Etch Model II. The machine weighs in at 67 pounds and was manufactured in Brazil.
FMS art teacher Paige Conn said her art III (eighth grade) students have been using the press to design art that will be used for cards for the Fredericksburg Dog Park Association (FDPA).
The press is currently free-moving, but Conn says they plan to bolt it to a table.
Die Künstler currently has 110 members in the group, Lafferty said, and they’ve worked with other non-profits this year, including Willow City School, Fredericksburg Theater Company and Hill Country Memorial Hospital.
Die Künstler focuses on art students of all ages and they offer a scholarship fund for high school seniors who are seeking a degree in an art-related field, Lafferty said.
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