Scholastic achievement is much more than reading and retaining knowledge from a textbook. In Putnam County, teachers and students from all over the area have banded together to create a unique show of art and knowledge with their first “Eyes of the Shona” exhibit.

The exhibit will feature original Shona artwork, as well as student renditions to tell the story of the Shona people and their influence around Putnam County.

Bessie Brown, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for Putnam County Schools, has worked in coordinating the event.

“The Madison Museum received a collection of sculptures, and wanted to showcase them to the public. The museum loaned [the Putnam school] system 20 sculptures for the students to observe and try to understand. The students, in turn, wrote their interpretations and drew portraits of the figures. They will also perform music of the period and dances during the exhibit,” Brown said via e-mail.

The exhibit will be held Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at the Plaza Arts Center.

According to Brown, the students have been diligently preparing for the exhibit since last October. A member of the Shona Tribe, Crispin Matseka, will also be a part of the exhibit to tell the story of his people and bring light to the art.

“I met Crispin Matseka several years ago at Georgia College. I contacted him for his help on the exhibit because he is a member of the Shona Tribe,” Brown said.

His expertise will no doubt be an inspiration to the students who have been diligently preparing the exhibit for the community. Actual Shona art will be on display, along with the students work, for 10 days after the initial event. This time frame will make the art accessible for more than just one night. Those interested may view the exhibit daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Feb. 17.

“The Eyes of the Shona” exhibit is of no cost to the community. The students are prepared to perform the music of the period, dramatic performances and interpretations, as well read narratives about the sculptures to educate those in attendance.

“The teachers involved helped to provide the students with research materials, the art, the video taping and the other materials the students needed to make their performance great,” Brown said.

The exhibit will not only include art, but the show will also feature refreshments. Original sculptures will be broken up into age groups to tell the story of the Shona people, and the student’s work will be featured in its own section to distinguish the different artists.