Wyoming Arts Council

Douglas Middle School students create ornaments for national Christmas tree display


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Douglas Middle School art teacher Emily Jensen poses with ornaments made by students.

Emily Jensen and the Douglas Middle School students have been chosen to design and create the ornaments for Wyoming’s tree for the 2013 National Christmas Tree display in President’s Park in Washington, D.C., the National Park Foundation announced today. Jensen and her students have joined local artists and youth from each U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia who were selected to design and create 24 ornaments for their respective state or territory tree.

“It is an honor to be selected because it gives the students the opportunity to create art pieces for the nation,” said Jensen, Douglas Middle School art teacher. “We are excited to be a part of the National Christmas Tree display because we come from a state with a very small population.”

The students have created cowboy Santa Claus’s out of clay with a decorated clay Christmas tree. The cowboy symbolize the people and the ethics of Wyoming. The cowboy stands for courage, optimism and hard work.

“We are very pleased that the art students of Douglas Middle School will represent Wyoming in this year’s National Christmas Tree display,” said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “This time honored tradition is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.”

Four weeks of holiday events in President’s Park will kick off with the 91st National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony presented by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. The exact date of the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

As one of America’s oldest holiday traditions, the National Christmas Tree Lighting began on Christmas Eve in 1923, when President Calvin Coolidge lit a Christmas tree in front of 3,000 spectators on the Ellipse in President’s Park. Since 1923, each succeeding President has carried on the tradition of what now has become a month-long event presented by the National Park Foundation and National Park Service. In addition to the National Christmas Tree display, President’s Park hosts a variety of family-oriented holiday attractions, such as the Santa’s Workshop, nightly holiday performances, a Yule log, nativity scene, and model train display.

For ticket information and talent announcements, as well as other event details, please visit www.thenationaltree.org.

Photo on home page: Douglas Middle School students Maggie Connolly, Kodi Christensen and Kaitlyn Sargent pose with ornaments they made for the Wyoming’s tree in the national Christmas tree display in D.C.


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