(Jan. 28, 2016) The first section of a planned five-panel public mural took shape this week, as dozens of children at Buckingham Elementary School in Berlin worked with muralist John Donato for several days.
The effort started last Thursday in Melissa Reid’s art classroom, but progress was pushed back by the winter storms. When finished, the panel will go on the north-facing side of the Berlin Visitor’s Center on Main Street.
“The progress by these kids has been fantastic,” Donato said. “There’s a lot of energy and a lot of good ideas. The staff has been great putting the whole schedule together, and we have volunteers from around the community coming in.
“We’re really moving along,” he added. “Because of everybody’s participating, we’re able to put a lot more paint into this project than we anticipated, so it’s going to be really something to see.”
On Tuesday, students used “dry brushing” techniques to decorate the spines of several books prominently displayed on the mural. The panel itself was hung on a room-length chalkboard inside Reid’s classroom.
Children also used stencils to paint pictures of various fruits and vegetables, meant to recall the booming peach industry that once drove Berlin’s economy. While some students took turns working on the big panel, others worked at their desks on a companion mural that will be installed permanently at the school.
Reid was impressed with the work her students had done, and credited Donato with laying out the project in a way that was easy for them to understand.
“The way he scaffolds the project so these students each have a piece of it, but then are ready for the next day, is amazing,” she said.
Berlin’s Arts & Entertainment Committee announced plans for the mural in October, and the Town Council and historic district commission both signed off on the project last year.
A&E Committee Member Robin Tomaselli was at the school on Tuesday lending a hand.
“It’s way bigger than just art,” she said. “The sense of community building is huge – it invests them in the community. Their response to it, to me, has just been amazing.
“There are so many lessons to be learned in what they’re doing,” Tomaselli continued. “First and foremost, everybody’s section is different – and that’s an awesome thing – and there’s no right or wrong. If they think they’ve messed up, instead of erasing and starting over, they figure out how to problem solve and make something better. I’ve learned so much from these kids already.”
For Elijah Collick, a 7-year-old student at Buckingham, the mural was a chance to work with his classmates in an unusual way. He said his favorite part was stenciling the strawberries.
“It’s really fun to go up there and paint,” Collick said.
The finished panel will be unveiled during Berlin’s 2nd Friday art stroll, March 11.
The effort started last Thursday in Melissa Reid’s art classroom, but progress was pushed back by the winter storms. When finished, the panel will go on the north-facing side of the Berlin Visitor’s Center on Main Street.
“The progress by these kids has been fantastic,” Donato said. “There’s a lot of energy and a lot of good ideas. The staff has been great putting the whole schedule together, and we have volunteers from around the community coming in.
“We’re really moving along,” he added. “Because of everybody’s participating, we’re able to put a lot more paint into this project than we anticipated, so it’s going to be really something to see.”
On Tuesday, students used “dry brushing” techniques to decorate the spines of several books prominently displayed on the mural. The panel itself was hung on a room-length chalkboard inside Reid’s classroom.
Children also used stencils to paint pictures of various fruits and vegetables, meant to recall the booming peach industry that once drove Berlin’s economy. While some students took turns working on the big panel, others worked at their desks on a companion mural that will be installed permanently at the school.
Reid was impressed with the work her students had done, and credited Donato with laying out the project in a way that was easy for them to understand.
“The way he scaffolds the project so these students each have a piece of it, but then are ready for the next day, is amazing,” she said.
Berlin’s Arts & Entertainment Committee announced plans for the mural in October, and the Town Council and historic district commission both signed off on the project last year.
A&E Committee Member Robin Tomaselli was at the school on Tuesday lending a hand.
“It’s way bigger than just art,” she said. “The sense of community building is huge – it invests them in the community. Their response to it, to me, has just been amazing.
“There are so many lessons to be learned in what they’re doing,” Tomaselli continued. “First and foremost, everybody’s section is different – and that’s an awesome thing – and there’s no right or wrong. If they think they’ve messed up, instead of erasing and starting over, they figure out how to problem solve and make something better. I’ve learned so much from these kids already.”
For Elijah Collick, a 7-year-old student at Buckingham, the mural was a chance to work with his classmates in an unusual way. He said his favorite part was stenciling the strawberries.
“It’s really fun to go up there and paint,” Collick said.
The finished panel will be unveiled during Berlin’s 2nd Friday art stroll, March 11.