Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

March 11

Students create murals for schools

MELANIE CREAMER

— By

Staff Writer

Students in the Bethel area recently completed a project that will leave a permanent impression for future generations.

Dozens of fourth- and fifth-graders from School Administrative District 44 created three clay relief murals that will be displayed at the Andover, Woodstock and Crescent Park elementary schools. The largest mural will be unveiled at Crescent Park School on June 17.

The project was made possible through the Mahoosuc Arts Council's Artist-in-Residence Program.

Randy Fein, a ceramic sculptor, potter and art instructor, chose the theme ''concepts of creativity.'' She worked with students to create and design tiles with three-dimensional textures and shapes using images embodying creativity in music, dance, theater, visual art and poetry.

Each student chose a symbol that represented his or her vision, said Tera Ingraham, an art teacher at Crescent Park School and chair of the board of directors of Mahoosuc Arts Council.

''Each mural is unique because each group took a different direction. The murals represent the community at the school,'' Ingraham said. ''The students did wonderful. They were very excited about the project and having something that would be permanently installed in their school.''

Fein worked with more than 550 pounds of clay and more than 70 children. Students at Andover and Woodstock schools used a self-hardening clay, and students at Crescent Park used conventional clay because they have a kiln for baking. The three pieces will be hand-painted by the students with acrylic paints.

The Mahoosuc Arts Council is a nonprofit organization that works to advance the arts and humanities in the schools and communities in the Bethel area.

Aranka Matolcsy, executive director of the council, said the artist-in-residence program facilitates children's discovery of their artistry and inspirations, which enables them to embark on their own personal creative journeys.

''Deep connections to the human spirit manifest through creative endeavors. This is especially true for children, whose young minds soak up concepts and elements in the arts which evolve and develop into deeper and more sophisticated meaning over time,'' Matolcsy said.

The Mahoosuc Arts Council has made significant cultural enrichment and creative economic contributions to the Bethel area since 1986. Matolcsy said this program is a critical component to the arts programming offered at SAD 44 schools and Gould Academy in Bethel.

''As rampant budget cuts ravage music and arts departments in schools across the state and nation, the need for arts education in core curriculum has become one of the most vital, hot-button topics of our time,'' Matolcsy said.

''It's an important issue in relation to the information-conceptual age global economic shift, which is demanding workers with skill sets that include right-brain functions, like design creation, innovation, ingenuity, social dexterity and empathy, that are specifically developed through arts education.''

Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:

mcreamer@pressherald.com