On Feb. 8, 20 minutes before a paint night event was to be held at George Wolf Elementary School in Bath, the school building was without lights.

“Is this a sign?” coordinator Melinda Jacobson, ITS teacher/reading specialist, said to colleague Christine Nemeh, ESL teacher.

As they went about to find the cause of the trouble, the lights came back on just as suddenly as they had mysteriously gone off in the school building.

Jacobson organized the paint night event to bring together students, parents and teachers. A $5 cost went to cover part of the art supplies.

The paint night was easy to plan, Jacobson said.

“I looked it up online and used Social Artworking for directions,” she said.

Social Artworking by DecoArt provides step-by-step instructions for painting parties.

Jacobson got art supplies, such as graphite paper for tracing patterns, canvases, paints and brushes. Some of the art supplies were donated by Blick Art Materials.

As the painting party got started in the school cafeteria, Jacobson gave the initial instructions to the 120 registered participants. Nemeh, dubbed artist in residence for the paint night, traced and painted step by step on a canvas that was viewed through a screen projector.

“This is awesome,” said Chris Clark, who was painting with his daughter Addison by his side. “Some school districts have gotten rid of art classes, and to have done this is very cool.”

Gabby Santiago, another parent who attended, said, “This is great to get parents together with their children.”

Her daughter Anabelle, a first-grader at the school, said that she wants to become an artist when she grows up.

“This year, we’ve been focusing on getting parents and teachers involved in the school with their children,” kindergarten teacher Jessica Quinones said. “Mrs. Jacobson’s program was great.”

After the painting party, drinks and snacks were provided by George Wolf Elementary PTA volunteers. Parents and children took their 8-inch-by-10-inch paintings home.

Jacobson noted the turnout was unexpected.

“On a Friday night, I was expecting 25 people to show up,” she said.

If there was a sign from the evening event, the turnout may be an indication for another future paint night.