Moore Teacher Doing More With Less To Bring Art Back to School

Facebook really can be a powerful tool, or art supply in this situation. Almost a month ago, Mindi McNair drew up an idea to bring art back to Moore and now the creativity is back.

McNair is a mother of two who just had a baby a year ago. She is always moving, even if it is just cutting, pasting, or adding some glitter.

"I feel like when I'm not using what He gave me, I'm just not as happy," said McNair.

An art teacher by trade, not even McNair's lesson plan could draw up her next project.

"Well, the guy up stairs told me to. And people might say ‘That lady is crazy.' But that's OK. I think we are all a little crazy," she said.

It all started from one phone call to the Moore school district about donating Target store gift cards to an non-existent art department.

"They said they weren't able to have art teachers this year. And I said ‘Oh my gosh! You're kidding me. Boo, hiss, we can't have that.'" 

So McNair took to Facebook and raised more than $4,000 overnight.

"No one had to do any of it. It was just a vision she had. She shared it on Facebook, and we all just took it and ran with it for her," said friend Kim Martin.

Now, every Thursday in November, McNair and her crew will have art class with every Briarwood Elementary student. And they work for free.

"When you let kids to create something, that's educating the whole mind," McNair said.

McNair drives about an hour and a half every Thursday. It is a long drive for a woman who is only getting paid by the smiles, but she doesn't mind.

"Totally worth it, I don't need a paycheck."

McNair and her crew won't stop there. They are bringing the same project to Plaza Towers Elementary students in December. They need about $1,000 to make that happen.