The artwork of special needs students from the Tuscaloosa area will be sold in a silent auction hosted by the Sprayberry Education Center at the Northport Civic Center on Thursday, Feb. 23, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The Sprayberry Education Center is the special education facility for the Tuscaloosa County School System. Starting at age three, students with special needs can attend the Center to receive educational, behavioral and social assistance.

“Sprayberry is a wonderful school that provides for the needs of students with exceptionalities,” said Sprayberry intern Sara-Beth Dickinson, a senior majoring in early childhood special and general education. “The administrators, faculty, staff and especially the students make the school an incredible place to work.”

Sprayberry is divided into preschool, multiple needs, autism and alternative programs that center on providing individually focused attention to each student. The multiple needs, autism and alternative programs focus on students from elementary to high school.

The Center previously offered a gifted program, but Tuscaloosa County Schools began providing the program at the start of the 2011 school year.

School faculty and parents will host Sprayberry’s 8th annual art show in order to increase funds and community awareness of the programs. Guest artists will donate their work in conjunction with the student artwork that will be showcased.

The various divisions of the show will be the Little Hands exhibit of preschool artwork, Extraordinary Art of the multiple needs students, Enlightened Art by the gifted program and Expo Art from the alternative classes.

Through the many programs, parents and faculty of Sprayberry have noticed the students’ power of expression through art.

“The art is a method of expression that all students can participate in,” Sprayberry Parent Teacher Organization President Carla Allen said. “It may be different for individual children. Some can work independently, and others might require hand-over-hand assistance. Art is something that appeals to different senses, thus providing sensory stimulation.”

The art show will include catered food by Walnut Hill Designs. There will be no admission fee, but all artwork will be available through the silent auction with bids starting at $20. The proceeds collected from the event will benefit the Sprayberry Education Center by providing funds for a new sensory room, library books, increased technology and equipment for Special Olympics training.

“I think the art show is a wonderful opportunity for the students and staff to come together in a unique way to raise money for the school,” Dickinson said. “The students really enjoy being able to create their own artwork and see it on display at the show.”

Tuscaloosa community members are encouraged to attend the art show in order to publicize the purpose, goals and achievements of the school.

“The art show hopes to raise awareness to the diversity of Sprayberry Education Center,” said multiple needs teacher Jamie Evans. “We want to highlight the abilities of our students instead of focusing on their disabilities.”