Highland Elementary Mural with students

Hi Everyone!

As promised, I'm slowly getting current - sharing stories about older projects. This is a mural I made in collaboration with three ambitious and passionate 4th grade teachers, and three classrooms full of young minds, in Gresham, Oregon. If you're been following me for a bit, you might remember this project from last year. Yep, same school - but different hallway and different kiddos.

About 5-ish years ago, I was a Teaching Artist with Lane Arts Council in Eugene. I would go into schools and make murals with students. Sometimes with one classroom and sometimes with every kid in the school. It was a ton of work. And it wasn't quite a way to make a living. But I suuuure do miss it sometimes! I've been trying to do one of these volunteer projects per year, to get my fix. Read on, to learn how we made this year's mural.

I think my philosophy on mural-making with kids, stemmed partially from the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps' approach to international and community development was drilled into me from my years as a peace corps volunteer. You enter a community (in this case, the school/classroom) to do a project (mural), and you must first get buy-in from them if the project is going to go well. A good recipe for community development, and for getting kids on your side when doing murals together, is to INVOLVE them, rather than tell them what they should do. It works like this: Kids help you decide what to paint, and why. Therefore, they CARE. Therefore, they are PERFECT ANGELS for you while you paint (this was certainly the case during the last two murals I did in this school, where I was adamant about this process.) Therefore, they treat the mural with respect and pride when it's finished, and build some self-confidence in the process. While painting the mural, I try to keep my hands off it, save for fixing minor drips and splashes. But I'm not gonna go in and render out a perfect flower, over the top of one that five kids created together over the course of an hour. Kids make it = kids take pride in it.

Here is how we made a mural design with three classrooms full of kids. I asked the three teachers to come up with a very broad theme that we could use to prompt the kids to think of imagery. They chose this quote by Gandhi: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." The teachers had also been talking a lot about the idea of "using our voices." Pretty broad, right? But timely. Important. Big. Each kid was assigned to write and draw about what this means to them. I then took all of those assignments, and checked for re-occurring imagery, or words that could become imagery. Here's what came up:

Kids expressed using their voices through:

Art (fitting, right?)
Music
Writing
Kindness and anti-bullying
Speech/activism - this came up a lot in various forms. Some kids even specified: Black Lives Matter, immigration rights, "love is love", etc.
Keeping their environment clean and "green"
Learning and school

Imagery that came up a lot:
Hearts
rainbows
Hand-holding
kids playing
All skin colors
Protesters/marching/sign holding

My job then, was to try and synthesize all of that into one cohesive design, which is what we painted. Before getting our brushes wet, I talked with the kids about the power of "using our voices" through art (because that's what I know best.) I showed a powerpoint, and talked about how muralists like Diego Rivera were able to express some pretty powerful ideas through making public art. I talked about some murals I made in Madagascar, and how they helped teach folks in areas where literacy rates were low. That's the power of using our voices. So, the kids were already empowered about the idea of using their "voices" to show the rest of the school community how they felt. And that again, is the Peace Corps way.

On painting days, I lead about 5 kids out into the hallway at a time, and give them each a paint color and a place to put it. We work in layers - the first layers are purely just covering the wall. The subsequent layers leave more room for expressive mark-making and more careful technique practice. In the end, all of the kid have put a mark or 30 on the mural. And believe me, they remember EXACTLY where they are afterwards. It's so fun! The teachers even captured it on video this year, and made this gorgeous time-lapse! Love. Bucket = filled.

My Last School Mural.... (For Awhile)

Hello Readers! I am now writing you from Portland, Oregon! It's my 3rd day living in the city and so far, I am happy and excited about what's going on up here. I moved only 2 hours away (I was living in Eugene), so everything still feels like home...ish. It's still rainy Oregon, and I have been taking trips up to Portland since I was little, so there's a lot that's very familiar. I also have many friends in town, so once I start seeing everyone, I think this will start to feel even more like home. It's by far, the easiest move I've ever made. But it's also different in another way: it's permanent for the foreseeable future. I've moved to Laguna Beach and Oakland, CA., Philadelphia, PA., and 2 different rural villages in Madagascar. All of which, I moved to without knowing anyone, or much about the place at all. Those moves were some big adjustments, but they always had an end-date... they were temporary. 

Anyway, here I am in the city now, starting this new part of my life. I'm working half-time as a Graphic Designer for Portland Jewish Academy. So far, it's been great. I like the Marketing team that I'm working with - everyone else has been really nice, too. I'm getting to design fliers and things already, it's fun! In the rest of the time, I'm going to be working on getting my mural business going. I'm looking forward to that part a lot. But I did leave a pretty cool job back home. I will really miss being an Artist in Residence in the schools. I do hope to get on a Teaching Artist's roster here though, so that I can continue teaching kids. It's so much fun. Here was my last project with an after school program in Springfield. The school is called Two Rivers Dos Rios, and their mascot is the otter. Hence, the two rivers and otter imagery. Only snapped a couple of pics of this in progress, but I'll be posting more once I get shots of the final installed piece. The kids did great on this! It was a nice wrap-up to my time teaching in Eugene. 

Posters for Zimbabwe

This blog is about a mural project (well, more like posters) done with kids that is more personal and closer to my heart than others.  Let me back up....

When I was in 2nd grade, I started taking lessons to learn how to play the marimba music of Zimbabwe.  I played off and on with different classes and ensembles from 2nd grade through high school, and sometimes when I was home from college.  The Eugene, OR. organization that I took classes from is called Kutsinhira.  If you're in the Eugene area and have been wanting to try a new and interesting musical endeavor, they are WONDERFUL.

Yesterday, Kutsinhira had their annual membership party where all their classes get together to play music for each other, eat together, and have a meeting about what's going on with the various charity organizations they associate with.  An organizer of the event wanted to have the attending kids paint posters for the 3 Zimbabwe organizations that our Eugene community is connected to, as a token of our friendship.  The organizations Tariro, Chinhoyi High School, and Nhimbe, would all be sent posters to hang in their Zimbabwe offices.

The party was held in an elementary school auditorium/cafeteria, so I set up in the hallway so the kids could still hear the music playing nearby.  Then I rounded up some kids to help me paint!  We only finished 2 of the posters during the party, but I think they turned out bright and fun.  The important part, was that the kids have the opportunity to feel more connected to the Zimbabweans who brought their music over to us, by sharing their art with them.  Cultural Competency for the win!  Another kid mural goes to Africa!  I love it.  More please!

Oregon Mural with Walterville Elementary

My last few posts have been full of lessons and projects from my lastest residency at Walterville Elementary.  But we also had a main attraction at the Corie-art-room-takeover: an 8'x20' mural!!  Here's how it worked:

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This mural project was created with all 190 students, grades K-5 at Walterville Elementary School in Walterville, OR.  The process was typical of a mural residency with me and went as follows:

• Initial planning meeting with staff to discuss their ideas for the residency and mural theme.  They decided on an "Oregon" theme. 

• Teachers had every student make drawings depicting their ideas of Oregon, and sent them all to me!

• I took all student's drawings and took inventory of the images and incorporated their ideas into an overall mural design. 

• We completed the mural in a little over 2 weeks.  Each classroom got to have about 8 sessions with me, and most children painted on the mural multiple times.  I taught grade level appropriate lessons for each class to work on, focusing on the techniques of master artists throughout history.  While students were all working on these projects, I rotated small groups of children to paint the mural. 

Here it is, in a few pictures.  I can't wait until the panels are installed onto their wall so I can show you the whole thing, put together!  Keep an eye out for that in the next few weeks ;)

Showing the kiddos how to lay paint down

Putting apples in the apple orchard!

Stayin' busy making Jim Dine-style Valentines while a couple painters are going in the background.

Making a starry starry night (heh, art teacher pun for the win!)

Cutest ever.

So many trees!!

Adding architectural details to the city

Done! But not yet installed. This is only about 3.5 of the 5 panels we made.

From Left to Right:  Oregon Coast--> River--> Rural Oregon--> Forest-y Mountains--> Cityscape

It's finished...and only just begun.

I got written up in the local newspaper today for my latest project!  It came out in papers today and was well-written and thorough.  Read the article here.  

The pilot project is almost complete! And I say "almost" because even though our part of the mural is finished, it still has a long way to travel to get to its final destination.  I will ship out the mural this weekend. I just got an email from the Peace Corps Volunteer who will receive it for his village.  He says:

Hey Corie,

The painted mural looks awesome!  We're really lucky to have that coming to Tsivangiana.  Last week I met with a group of five mpanentanas (health workers/informers) there.  We plan to use the mural to launch a week of malaria trainings - on bed nets (we're going to go house by house and check bed net usage, take pictures of people there doing it right and wrong, and put these next to the mural as examples - like a Wall of Bed Net Fame) and on making Neem Cream (a natural bug repellant).  We haven't yet finalized the programme/dates but we're looking at maybe the last week in January.  I will let you know.  The ladies (the mpanentanas) are really mazoto (diligent) so I think it's going to be great.  We'll try to get the most out of this great mural you all have made!  And yes we'll make sure to send you all lots of pics.   

Thanks,

Eddie  

So awesome!! I feel overwhelmed with... I guess the word is satisfaction.  It's the same feeling as when I've had a painting in my head for ages, finally paint it, and it comes out just right or better than I imagined.  I dare say, I feel proud of myself.  I also feel very grateful to those who helped me get all this together.  My whole Peace Corps family was so willing to jump in and help: other volunteers, my former supervisor and language teachers there.  My expert muralists I learned this cloth-mural technique from over the summer at my internship with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.  My friends and family here listened to me and helped me sort through ideas.  Thank you all so much!!!

The pilot project went great.  Now it's sort of like, what's the next logical step for this thing?  I hope to do more of these with more schools in Eugene and Portland (next school year).  Then, who knows..... maybe someday this can become my J.O.B. through some big health organization (COUGH*Population Services International*COUGH) so kids in the U.S. can make health murals for places all over Africa or the rest of the developing world.  For now, I'm reveling in my first victory. But.... "Dream Big", right? 

I'll leave you with some visuals:

Our mural: 

Panel 1.) washing the mosquito net with regular soap instead of detergent. 

Panel 2.) Hanging it in the shade to dry (so it doesn't lose it's mosquito repellent). 

Panel 3.) tuck it in really good under your mattress. 

Panel 4.) Fix any holes in the net. 

This was the original mural design. The folks in the village in Madagascar will be the ones to finish the border and the words in Malagasy, explaining each panel. 

Thanks for reading,

Corie

McKenzie School Mural Project

This project began in April and lasted only 4 Fridays for 4 hours per day. We finished this mural in 16 hours! These kids did an amazing job. 

STATS:

SCHOOL:  Mckenzie School, up the Mckenzie River Highway near Springfield, OR.

STUDENTS:  This school serves the rural community that live along this particular section of the McKenzie river.  It has about 200 students, Kindergarten through 12th grade. 

I WORKED WITH:  Students attend school here only Monday through Thursday.  Fridays are optional. I worked as a part of the school's Friday program, which tried to add back in, the arts that the kids don't get during the week due to funding.  Unfortunately, attendance to the Friday Program, remains low. Teachers believe the reason for this, is that students are so used to 3-day-weekends every single weekend, that they don't want to wake up early and go to school on Fridays if they don't have to. They have about 10 "regulars" though, who are the kids I mostly worked with. 

THEME: SCHOOL PRIDE! Our first session, the kids and I had a a huge brainstorming session. McKenzie's mascot is the eagle, so of course we included that. The McKenzie River is also a really important part of the wild landscape around their school, so we included that, too.  We decided to have the eagle carrying a banner with the school's academic motto on it, too. 

Altogether, this was such a fun project. Even though I didn't work with many kids, the ones who were there, were there by choice and were really engaged. I could tell that getting to paint something that was going to be displayed in their school's front entryway, was something that these kids were going to take pride in and remember for a long time. As I always say, making collaborative murals build self- esteem and team-working skills, along with the obvious creative and art-making skills they are building. 

Keep your brushes wet, 

Corie

Artist in Residence Perks: #2

Making kids happier through giving them an opportunity to paint.

Today I worked at Willagillespie Elementary. All 4th and 5th graders and I are still working on our math/science/space/time - themed mural in their hallway.  

One kid told me when it was her turn to paint, "This is probably the best day of my whole life."

Another kid told me when it was his turn to paint, "I've been waiting all tuesday and all yesterday for it to be my turn!"

There is nothing better than that. Better than money or fame I think, THIS is what feels good. These kids are getting less and less art in their schools, as there are more and more days of testing and test-preparation. Budget cuts have eliminated many art, music and drama teachers (physical education teachers too).  It's so sad to meet kids who have as difficult a time holding a paintbrush as some of my students in Madagascar did.  Aren't we supposed to be one of, if not THE most advanced country in the world? And our kids are getting cheated. It makes me feel good to know that organizations like mine, Lane Arts Council exists. I'm on a roster of a number of artists who are available to come to schools for 2-6 weeks at a time and work with kids. There are salsa dancers, glass artists, guitar players and me, and more! Until the system changes, at least this is a start. 

Artist in Residence Perks: #1

Getting to listen into kids' conversations with each other. 

I usually pull about 4 kids into the hallway to paint on the mural at a time, then we rotate groups about every 15 minutes so everyone gets a turn. Once I get paint and paintbrushes in their little hands and get them going on a spot to paint, I shut up and just listen.  I'm often amazed, grossed out and/or totally amused by what I can hear sometimes. For example, the following conversation by a few of my 4th graders today:"Have you seen that show, 'My Strange Addiction'?"

"Yeah. Did you see the one about the lady who has to sleep with a hairdryer in her bed, turned on?" 

"There's lots of crazy people in the world."

"Yeah. Most of them live in San Francisco."

New School Mural Project!

Last month, I completed two murals with the kids at Willagillespie Elementary school in Eugene.  Those were in the K/1 grades hallway, and the 2/3 grades hallway.  They asked me to come back and do a residency for their 4/5 hallway this month! Each hallway in the school has a famous scientist as it's theme:

• K/1 Hallway: "Audobon's Aerie" 

• 2/3 Hallway: "Coustau's Cove"

• 4/5 Hallway: "Banneker's Bend"

Here is the sketch for "Banneker's Bend":

                                        

Benjamin Banneker was an African American scientist living in the 1700's. He got famous for his contributions to some almanacs, for his skills as a mathematician and astronomer and also for carving an entire working clock out of wood. Interesting sounding guy. So there was a lot to work with here, in terms of imagery. I decided to do just a big mash-up of images for this one: books, rocket ship, clock parts, cosmos, etc. 

Excited for this one! I'll keep you guys updated on the project's progress. 

Stars and Rocket Ships,

Corie

Mural Artist in Residence..... Chapter One.

Let's take it back.  Waaayyyy back.  Ok, only about a year back.  This is the story of how I became an Artist in Residence.

To be perfectly honest, doing school murals and being an artist in residence sort of fell into my lap.  Last spring, I was working in a local bakery, spending my days packaging cookies and helping customers navigate the "gluten-free" section.  My nights were spent at my parent's house,  longing to return to Madagascar, where I had recently spent 2 years living and working as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Re-adjusting to being home in the United States was difficult, and having arrived only 4 months earlier, I still felt stuck between two worlds, not quite sure where I fit into either one.  I was more than a little lost.  But that's another story.  In March, 2011, I found a new place to belong. 

One day I got an email from a local elementary school principal, asking if I would be interested in doing a school mural project to begin in a couple of weeks.  The artist who was going to do it had to back out because of a family emergency.  The principal had been given my name by someone in the building who knew I was a mural artist.  So, somewhat apprehensively, but also enthusiastically and maybe naively, I accepted the job. 

JOB STATS:

Duration:  3 weeks, 4 teaching hours each school day.  I was lucky my former boss at the bakery was willing to arrange my work schedule around this!  

Students Included:  ALL students in the school, grades kindergarten through 5th!

Theme of Project:  "Sustainability" - Their school is a certified "Green School" in our school district, meaning they use solar power for many operations, compost, run a school garden program, among other "green" awareness programs for the students.  Quite amazing and wonderful.  I was very glad to work within this theme as it is close to my heart as well. 

Materials Used:  Outdoor quality acrylic paints.  

Size:  We worked on boards which when completed, were mounted on the school's outdoor wall. Each panel was 4' x 8' and there were 5 of them, totaling in an 8' x 20' mural!

Location:  Adams Elementary School, Eugene, OR. 

Adams Elementary School Mural: "Sustainability"

SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES:

The Hardest Part Was:  This was my first time doing a mural with kids.  It was basically, my first time teaching kids art, really (at least, to American kids.  I had taught a couple random art lessons to kids in Madagascar).  The residency was set up so that each classroom would come to my room where the mural project was set up, for 45 minutes.  Now, 45 minutes is not much time to get kids quiet and focused, explain the lesson, get them going on an art project, and then clean up.  Luckily, the teachers were there, armed with parent volunteers much of the time.  There was no possible way to get 25-35 kids working on the same mural project at the same time, I at least had the sense to not try that.  I kept the class busy with drawing projects while I pulled 4-5 kids out at a time to come help me paint the mural, then we kept rotating the small groups of painters to make sure everyone got turns.  This is still how I structure my school murals residencies.  I teach simple art projects, usually trying to make them relative to the theme of the mural, for all students to work on.  Once I explain the art project, teachers can keep kids going on them so that I can focus on getting kids through their turns painting the mural. It works...which brings me to successes. 

Biggest Success Was: Finding my own "residency structure" that works well. That was a success that I've based all other school murals on since.  I would say my biggest success for this one, was just making it through to the end.  My mom has been a teacher for somewhere around 30 years so I would go to her at the end of every day that first week, desperate for any kernels of teaching wisdom she could offer.  By the end of 3 weeks, I had found my "groove" with the students.  I also discovered my school residency teaching method, which I will expand upon at some point.  For now though, I basically learned that if I mixed the colors and just gave each kid a little bowl of it and a brush, things would go smoother.

I Learned: 

• How to talk to kids better (Justin Bieber, anyone? Yes? No?). 

• How to structure my school residencies in a way that worked for me, the students and the teachers.

• How to paint a mural on panels (this was brand new to me, too). 

• That kids SHOULD NOT under any circumstances, be present while you are priming walls or panels. This stuff is nasty, probably toxic and stains clothes. Which makes parents very unhappy. Oops.

• Everything.  This was the steepest learning curve ever.  I had no idea what I was doing. 

EPILOGUE/MORAL IS....

I got through this.  Beginnings are usually hard, right?  In the first week, I just wanted it to be over.  I was unsure of myself in almost every step I took towards completing this project.  I wanted to be at the end, looking back, already.  Here I am, over a year later, looking back.  I made it through to the other side of this challenge.  I still have plenty of challenges now when I do residencies, of course, and I know I won't ever stop learning new ways to improve them.  But now, I love love love my job.  

I had to get through that difficult first one to make it to now, where I feel lucky to do what I do.  

After this project, I got officially hired by my local arts organization, Lane Arts Council.  This organization is the one that organizes art walks and also school residencies in our county schools.  They are the ones that paid me, and still pay me.  Now, I am on their roster of teaching artists and local schools may request me to come be an artist in residence and do murals with kids.  I have worked with many more schools since then (*blogs soon to come!).

This story reminds me not to get discouraged.  Push through the difficult "beginnings" and in the middle, you can look back and see just how far you've come. 

Happy new beginnings!