PARIS – A colorful array of oil paintings, watercolors, paper mache and three-dimensional artwork lines the lobby of the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School this week during the 20th annual districtwide art show.

“It took a month for us to make it,” said Shannon Dyer, a sixth-grade student at Rowe Elementary School. She, along with other classmates, was bused to the high school Wednesday to see the colorful endangered habitat mural they created and other students’ exhibits.

The annual SAD 17 art show, which displays the artistic talents of students from kindergarten through grade six, is on view in the lobby of the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School until Friday.

“It’s really super of the administration and school to provide the opportunity,” said Eva Kozun, art teacher at the Guy E. Rowe Elementary School in Norway. Kozun said the show reflects what the students do in their classrooms as a district.

The students viewed their projects, ranging from clay cars created by first-grade students to the sixth-grade class mural of endangered species and pictures of peace signs for a contest that asked students to create a picture reflecting the theme, “Now is the time to make the world a better place.”

The show was begun by well-known local artist Duncan Slade when he was one of only three art teachers in the district. Today, the district boasts 10 art teachers and curriculum-based projects that emphasize Maine Learning Results.

“It provides a broad view of what we do as a district,” Kozun said of the show. She said it is particularly interesting because the wide spectrum of artwork provides the older students a glimpse of the type of art they created in the past and the younger students a glimpse of art they may create in the future.

Colin Chase, a sixth-grade Rowe School student, said he was impressed with the placement of the art work. “I like how they put the art together,” he said of the arrangement of hundreds of works from 11 schools. Students are being bused to the high school all week to view the show.

The show continues from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. until noon on Friday. Admission is free.