LEWISTON – First-graders became city planners in Kim Pearson’s art class.

“The way you arrange your city is up to you,” she said as Martel Elementary School students worked with construction paper and glue.

Pearson’s assignment was to create a cityscape collage. The assignment would help them learn about using space and color in art, plus how cities look, even an early introduction to architecture.

It’s this kind of work that Pearson, along with two others in Maine education, will be honored for Monday during Arts Education Advocacy Day at the State House in Augusta. Pearson, who teaches art at Martel and Montello elementary schools, received an award from the Maine Alliance for Arts Education. One of three statewide winners, Pearson received an honorable mention for making significant contributions to the arts in schools, for showing outstanding commitment and for inspiring students, teachers and the community.

She was nominated by Martel Principal Stephen Whitfield and school counselor Pamela Libby.

In a letter to judges, Whitfield said Pearson’s major strength is her ability to engage students. Their creations “are just outstanding,” he said. “For many of our students this is their exposure to the visual arts. Therefore, her work is truly critical to the school’s mission,” Whitfield said.

Student art is displayed throughout the school. On one wall is a series of food product illustrations: Doritos, Campbell soup and Hershey’s syrup. Students drew the pictures after learning about American artist Andy Warhol, a central figure in the pop art movement.

The annual art show is a big event at Martel, attended by a high percentage of students and families, Libby wrote. “Kim is totally responsible for the art show, and it is amazing when she puts it all together to see the growth of students.”

Pearson, 29, of Portland, said her interest in art was sparked when she took a drawing class in college. “I had a teacher who inspired me. I realized it was neat to get people to be creative, even if they think they aren’t.”

In classes, she often integrates other subjects into art and enjoys teaching about art from other cultures and art history. When students study about ancient Egypt, then draw King Tut’s coffin, they’re interpreting and processing the lesson in a deeper way, she said. Art is also a way for students to relax. When she passes out paint to first-graders, “you can hear a pin drop. You can just hear little brush strokes. Having that time to be calm is good for the soul.”

In her class last week Pearson started off reading a story about New York City: how the streets are full of cars, the sky full of buildings called skyscrapers.

“We are going to make a city,” one boy said.

That’s right, Pearson said.

After the story, students selected construction paper of different colors. Each rectangle would be a different building.

As students worked, Pearson showed them that by changing the shape of a rectangle they could make a dome or a church. And by adding a thin strip, “you can make an antenna.”

Before long papers on desks were transformed to illustrations of streets and buildings.

“Your cityscapes are looking really nice,” Pearson said. “Nice job, boys and girls.”