Enlisting friends and volunteers, Kimberly Fairbanks is refurbishing 12 wooden cutouts of Native American-style animals that once hung proudly at Grant Street School, which has been torn down.

Fairbanks, who was a long time art teacher at the former school, created the cutouts with her students decades ago. Time has not been kind to the artwork.

In the place of the old school is Salish Coast Elementary. The new $40 million 68,000-square-foot elementary school was officially dedicated on Jan. 19.

“There is a desire to honor the original inhabitants of this area,” Fairbanks said. “What a better time to redo the bear, eagle, sea otter and whale to decorate the new school?”

Fairbanks was surprised the old artworks that had adorned the former building survived the demolition and decided they should be refinished and placed back on display, she said.

“They were part of a cultural lesson for second graders of the Northwest tribes including dancing, drumming, storytelling and drawing.”

The animals were cut from plywood and primed in the Port Townsend High School shop class with Jim Guthrie, the shop teacher, Fairbanks said.

The lesson included a visit with a representative from the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe who taught the students the traditional design elements needed to draw each animal.

“They were taught to use only the five shapes of crescent, triangle, ovoid, circle and oval to create designs to fill the interior of the animal,” Fairbanks said.

After the lesson on shapes, the students learned to draw the animals and the best drawings were applied to the plywood, Fairbanks said.

“The painting was done in groups with a high school student guiding each group.”

Friends and volunteers have spent several hours over the past few weeks refurbishing the cutouts using paint and materials Fairbanks paid for out of pocket.

“I like to paint and I like Kim’s concept of restoring something from the past to be part of the new school,” said Mary Wilson, a former kindergarten teacher at Grant Street School.

Also volunteering are Tom and Wendy White, whose two children were Fairbanks students. They said they enjoy the idea of giving back to the community.

Amanda Adams also was eager to get involved.

“Kim announced at a drum group we are in together she could really use some help with this project,” Adams said. “I really love the Native American art and think it is so important. I can have a part of history.”

If properly maintained, the cutouts can last another couple of decades, Fairbanks said.

There was a separate project Fairbanks championed as the art teacher which involved creating about 100 salmon cutouts. Most of them have been destroyed over the years, but those that remain will be given to the third grade teachers at Salish Coast Elementary to use as an art project with their students, Fairbanks said.

“They are kind of rough, but they can be used as a cultural lesson about the Native Americans and the people who lived here. That is what this is all about, connecting their art. It is just so empowering and so connecting.”

To volunteer for the project, send an email to fairbankskimberly@gmail.com.