Waynesboro Area School District kindergarten and third-grade students had an out-of-this world experience when they met the local artist who illustrated stories they wrote.
Seth Holmes of Holmes Watercolors surprised the participants in Students as Authors on Friday, March 20, 2026, to give them the artwork he created to go with their stories.
Stories address ‘Alien’ prompts
According to Allison Beaudry, elementary literacy coach and Title 1 coordinator, students in each classroom worked together to write a short story based on an “Alien Takeover” prompt such as “What surprised aliens the most when they came to Earth for the First Time?”
Watercolor artist Seth Holmes talked with Waynesboro Area School District students on March 20, 2026, about the illustrations he created for their stories based on an ‘Alien Takeover’ prompt. The stories were displayed in downtown business windows for a StoryWalk on March 14.
New shopping experience: Fun retailer Five Below opening in Waynesboro
The shared writing experience resulted in about 30 stories with titles like “First Time on Earth,” “A Trip to an Alien Planet” and “The Alien’s Special Powers.”
Illustrated by Holmes, the pieces were displayed in the windows of downtown businesses during a StoryWalk on Saturday, March 14.
Seth Holmes of Holmes Watercolors had some out-of-this-world help when he talked to Waynesboro Area School District students on March 20, 2026, about illustrating their ‘Alien Takeover’ stories. The stories were displayed in downtown business windows for a StoryWalk on March 14.
The stories and art were returned to the students on March 20, when they could ask Holmes questions about his work as an artist during a brief meet-and-greet.
What to know about the creative partnership
This is the second year Holmes has illustrated stories written by Students as Authors. Last year, a Dragon Takeover-themed StoryWalk featured the work of kindergarten and first-grade students.
Seth Holmes of Holmes Watercolors illustrated ‘Alien Takeover’ stories written by Waynesboro Area School District students. The stories were displayed in downtown business windows for a StoryWalk on March 14, 2026. Holmes visited with students, talked about his work and gave them the illustrations on March 20.
It is part of a partnership the Waynesboro Area School District has formed with Holmes, the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library, Camp Penn, Mainstreet Waynesboro Inc. and various downtown businesses, Beaudry said.
At 21 E. Main St.: Downtown Waynesboro redevelopment project moving toward conclusion
In addition to the March showcase with student works, there are three other Downtown Waynesboro StoryWalk Takeover events each year featuring published books, thanks to funding from the Nora Roberts Foundation.
Seth Holmes of Holmes Watercolors illustrated ‘Alien Takeover’ stories written by Waynesboro Area School District students. The stories were displayed in downtown business windows for a StoryWalk on March 14, 2026, and Holmes visited with students and gave them the artwork on March 20.
Dr. Erica Vinson-Ondecko also secured an Arts for All grant through The Foundation for Enhancing Communities for the StoryWalk team.
“With this additional funding, we were able to deepen our collaboration with Seth through the custom illustrations, and to also purchase over 100 take-home art kits for our students,” Beaudry said. “This way, students have the opportunity to learn about art and watercolor paintings at school, and they can continue being creative at home.”
This article originally appeared on Waynesboro Record Herald: Waynesboro Students as Authors meet artist Seth Holmes