West Boylston Arts Foundation to Sponsor Community Mural Painting
Friday, April 12, 2013
The West Boylston Arts Foundation is sponsoring a mural painting project with Leia Roberts, the Major Edwards Elementary School art teacher, and professional muralist Gregory Maxim Burdett of Project Super Friends, at the Major Edwards Elementary School in West Boylston. The mural painting will take place on Sunday, April 14 and Monday, April 15 (with Sunday, April 21 reserved if needed).
This is a community art project that involves students of all grades, parents, residents, local artists, and any volunteers that would like to help paint a mural to brighten up the school and get people involved in making public art. The mural will occupy the currently vacant, blank white space in the gym behind the stage where the elementary band plays (the band that the WBAF has helped to support with approximately $72,000 in donations since 2007).
"The West Boylston Arts Foundation is always looking for ways to support the Arts in West Boylston and reach out to the community," says Leia Roberts.
"So, when Mark Baldi, the WBAF president, had asked me if there was anything they could support or fund for the Major Edwards Art Department at the beginning of the school year, the idea of a community based mural seemed to be a perfect way to accomplish both these goals."
Art's Power in the Community
There are four major goals involved as part of painting the mural. These include: beautifying the space at Major Edwards; involving the community, thereby allowing everyone in the community to feel connected to the school and one another through art-making; providing high school art students the opportunity to design a mural and see it come to life; and allowing others to work with local living artists by teaming up with Project Super Friends.
"The community needs opportunities to feel connected, especially to the schools. I feel that the more opportunities we provide for the community to feel a sense of involvement will result in providing the schools with stronger community support. Creating art for a community space is a wonderful way to connect," says Leia.
"The school will benefit from this mural in many ways. I hope those that participate in painting the mural remain active in the schools and become strong advocates for the Arts. The school will benefit from the mural by having an otherwise dull looking space look lively and beautiful," she remarks.
"The West Boylston Arts Foundation is very excited to be working with Leia Roberts and Project Super Friends. This mural project works on so many different levels: community art involving children and adult volunteers, having the high school Art Honor Society students work on design and execution with professional artists, and making our schools more attractive and learning friendly," says the WABF.
Project Super Friends, an artist's collaborative out of Boston, was founded by Greg Burdett and Josh Falk, who both discovered their love of art in Leominster public schools, went to MassArt and are now professional artists. They are very supportive of the WBAF's mission to "keep school arts strong" and ensure that children have the opportunity to explore the arts and learn creatively.
An Original Idea from the National Art Honor Society
Leia Roberts and Sheila Tetler, the West Boylston High School art teacher, have also enlisted the aid of the National Art Honor Society students, who have come up with the mural's design. The winner mural design was created by Sarah Raymond, a senior at West Boylston High School and member of NAHS.
"It is colorful and reflects music in the design and it’s really going to bring some life to the space," according to Leia.
The Home Depot in Worcester has provided paint and supplies for the project.
The West Boylston Arts Foundation is still looking volunteers. Those interested should contact Leia at [email protected].
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