Dragons’ Art Brightens Restaurant

When the owners Westchase’s new Surf Shack Coastal Kitchen Restaurant wanted local artists to contribute to the surfing-themed restaurant, they turned to some Dragons. Surf Shack owner Adam Harlan approached Davidsen Middle School art teacher Shane Heath. Heath was extremely excited to allow his eighth grade advanced art class the opportunity to create art that would be displayed in the community.

The Surf Shack, located where Chico’s used to be, provided 50 small surf boards to Heath, who challenged his students to paint the boards consistent with the restaurant’s ocean themes of surfing and sea life. Heath felt that the opportunity was so important that he suspended his planned class work to allow the students to focus on the project.

The students were thrilled to know that their art would be displayed in the restaurant. Student Emma Smith, who painted three boards, said, “I worked really hard on them but it was really fun.”

Finishing her third board, Chloe Robinson agreed, “It was challenging but fun.”

On Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. the Surf Shack held a special dedication of the boards so that the community could celebrate the students’ hard work. The restaurant donated 15 percent of that evening’s sales to the eighth grade class to fund their upcoming dance. Heath and his class annually create the art for the eighth grade dance every year using recycled materials that would have been thrown away. Heath now hopes the Surf Shack work becomes another tradition that will allow his class to provide more art for the restaurant.

By Brenda Bennett