From the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year until the last day of school, monsters have been coming to life across the Westminster Public Schools classrooms. “The Monster Project” is a creative collaboration that unites students across grade levels through storytelling, visual art, and music. 

Originating five years ago thanks to Westminster High School (WHS) art teacher, Michelle Music and Colorado STEM academy art teacher, Anne Farrel, the project begins every Fall with kindergarteners reading stories and designing imaginative monsters. These drawings are then passed along to high school art students who learn about how monsters play a role in our culture and in society reinterpret them with professional flair, turning crayon sketches into polished visual pieces.

But this year, the transformation expanded to include original music, adding an emotional and auditory dimension to the visual experience. High school musicians, including orchestra and mariachi students, chose a handful of monsters and composed soundtracks to match their personalities. This multimedia approach teaches students how different forms of art can work together to deepen meaning.

Beyond artistic growth, the Monster Project teaches empathy, communication, and mentorship. High schoolers learn to value the perspectives of their younger counterparts and approach their work with sensitivity and respect. “It brings joy to somebody’s life,” Emily Luna, a WHS senior shared, reflecting on the impact of their creative interpretation.

The district-wide effort involves students from elementary through high school, emphasizing collaboration, continuity, and community. The long-term vision is for students who created monsters as kindergartners to one day reinterpret them as high schoolers, completing a full creative circle.

Watch the video above to learn more about all the work that goes into the monster of “The Monster Project.”