Cardboard, papier-mâché and plenty of polka dots came together to create a unique Halloween display by Geneseo High School art club students during Saturday’s Scarecrow Row at the city park.
The annual event, hosted by the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce, gave the community a chance to celebrate fall with scarecrows, Halloween festivities and trick-or-treating. For GHS art club members, it was also an opportunity to showcase their creativity and share their work beyond the school walls.
This year’s project drew inspiration from Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her distinctive polka-dot patterns and pumpkin artwork. GHS art teacher and art club sponsor Sarah Degarmo wanted to incorporate art history into the club’s annual scarecrow project.
“The artist, Yayoi Kusama, passed away this year and she liked to do polka dots on pumpkins,” Degarmo said. “We were inspired by those designs, and I liked the idea of pulling in some art history.”
The theme extended to the dress the scarecrow wore, with students dressing in similar styles while handing out candy at Scarecrow Row. The high school’s scarecrow placed third among many wonderful entries.
Sophomore Charleigh Campbell led the pumpkin project, working on it daily during the high school’s WIN time and at after-school art club meetings for more than three weeks. The effort totaled approximately 15 hours.
“We started off with a cardboard base and glued pieces around it,” Campbell explained. “We then took a bunch of paper and stuffed it in between to fill it out. Then we used papier-mache and painted.”
Watching the creation take shape kept Campbell motivated throughout the process.
“There was definitely the excitement of how it was going to look so cool when it’s done,” she said. “You think about it finally getting done, and you hope it is exactly how you imagined it.”
Campbell said the project was especially enjoyable because it combined art with her favorite season.
“I just love fall so much,” she said. “It’s so pretty outside right now, and we got to do art around it. That’s super cool.”
The project also connects with Campbell’s future ambitions: She hopes to become a fashion designer, making the scarecrow’s polka-dot dress a fitting part of the experience.
For fellow art club member Mickayla Bowles, a junior at GHS, the opportunity to share the finished work with the public was a highlight.
“We got to show off all the work that we put into it, and that was rewarding,” said Bowles.
The Scarecrow Row project is one of several activities organized by the art club throughout the year. About 30 students are involved, though participation varies depending on sports and other activities. Degarmo said the club has existed since before she arrived at GHS in 2015.
“It’s an open door all the time,” she said. “We’re always welcoming new students.”
Students volunteer at a variety of face-painting events, including Northside Elementary's math night, softball’s family night, Harvest Fest, and a recent event for Foster Hope. They also participate in the annual art walk, Christmas Walk and other community activities. Last year, they helped with the FFA’s “Haunt the Halls” trick-or-treating event.
For Campbell, the face-painting events are particularly rewarding because it allows her to connect with younger children and encourage their interest in art. She said children sometimes ask about the face-painting process, giving her an opportunity to tell them they can participate in the art club when they reach high school.
While the large-scale scarecrow project offers a chance for students to collaborate, the club’s smaller weekly crafts are also important to its activities.
Bowles explained that bigger projects are especially enjoyable because students work together toward a shared goal rather than completing individual crafts.
“I think that’s probably the most exciting time for the art club because it’s all of us working together on something,” she said.
The club will continue its community involvement at the Christmas Walk in December. In previous years, students have helped children make seasonal crafts at downtown Geneseo’s Smith Studio and Gallery, including Christmas masks and reindeer-themed projects.
The club takes an annual field trip, alternating between visits to the Figge Art Museum in Davenport for students from freshmen through seniors and trips to the Art Institute of Chicago for juniors and seniors.
For Degarmo and her students, the club offers more than an opportunity to create art. It provides a way to explore artistic interests, develop new skills, and contribute to the community.
This weekend, those efforts were on display at Scarecrow Row, where a polka-dot pumpkin and a fashion-inspired scarecrow brought a touch of art history to Geneseo’s fall festivities.
