The South Central Ohio Educational Service Center’s 2021 Artist-in-Residency Program brought local artist, Klaire Smith, to Wheelersburg High School to work with advanced art students in Mrs. Kelly Emmons’ high school art classes. The residency began on September 27 and will last for two weeks. Students are creating artwork to be displayed during the months of February and March 2022 at the Portsmouth Public Library.

This year an art workshop was added to the residency and made available through a
collaboration between Bailey Hartlage, Executive Director of the Portsmouth Area Arts Council
(PAAC), and the South Central Ohio ESC. The workshop was open to children age 10 through
18 and it took place on Tuesday, September 28, at Shawnee State University. Participating
students learned to use the same materials and techniques that are being used in the
Wheelersburg Artist-in-Residency. The artist refers to this technique as “paper painting”.
The ESC residency is being coordinated by Sharee Price, Gifted Services Coordinator at the
South Central Ohio ESC, and is sponsored by: Portsmouth Area Arts Council, Portsmouth
Rotary Club, Scioto Foundation, Shawnee Animal Clinic, and SOMC.