810-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 28,2001
Kids Korner*
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Fifth Grade Art Project On Permanent Display
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.)
Walk through the halls of Bed
ford Elementary and you might
think you are in an art museum.
Each year, students in grades K
through five are involved in fan
tastic art projects under the di
rection of Lisa Miller.
While art is a highlight for all
of the students, fifth graders are
extremely enthusiastic. These
students will participate in mak
ing an art project that will be
come a permanent fixture at the
school.
During the first year of the
new school’s existence, Lisa led
them in making large papier
maiche’ sculptures inspired by
the Renaissance.
In 2000, they did large mural
paintings inspired by the Impres
sionist painters and local artist,
Kevin Kutz.
But 2001, may well be the
“pie’ce de’ resistance.” Since the
origin of the permanent projects,
Lisa had thought about doing ce
ramic tile murals above the bath
room mirrors and elsewhere
throughout the building.
Dr. Pat Crawford, Bedford
school superintendent, gave her
permission to write for an “Artist
in Residence” matching grant
through the Southern Alle
ghenies Museum of Art.
“This meant that the Pennsyl
vania Council for the Arts would
provide half of the funding and
the school district the other half.
Upon receiving the grant, it was
the Council for the Arts who
suggested the expertise of Jim
McDowell, a potter and ceramic
artist from Johnstown. Lisa also
took a three-day intensive work
shop on creating tiles with the
Moravian Pottery and Tile corks.
Professional artist McDowell
told Lisa what materials she
would need. Each of the fifth
grades was responsible for one
theme and through a democratic
process arrived at: funny faces,
under the sea, night time sky,
wild designs and textures, butter
flies and flowers and Pennsylva
nia birds. Some of the designs in
volve single tiles while others
took the cooperation of several
students to design a large bird or
flower including several tiles.
Some classes totally designed
the murals in advance, others,
just parts of it, and one group
Proud of their work, these students point to the wild design and textrue pattern lo
cated above the restroom mirrors.
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Students admire their work on the face tiles.
was totally under Jim McDow
ell’s direction.
All of the art students at Bed
ford Elementary had the oppor
tunity to see a professional at the
potter’s wheel. Kindergarten
through 4th grade made a small
1 by 3 inch tile.
After observing Jim, the youn-
i» m
Some students composed a Pennsylvania flower using
several different varieties of tile.
- ~i*., * F
ger students made a potato head them to the kiln for glazing. Kim
or ugly jug mug. Parents and McGee, a fifth grade teacher, was
grandparents were invited to Lisa’s right hand friend volun- » * -
participate and approximately teering to help organize the proj- % , "ml I,
250 were on hand to try hands ect and glaze fire the tiles. ’, ** * i|be> ,
on creating from clay. “But there was still the prob- ffci' ppf
Lisa bisque fired all of the fin-
ished products. The children
glazed them and Lisa returned i \ *
lem of how to get the finished
fifth grade tiles on the wall to be
come permanent,” Lisa says. “I
called on the skills of one of our
mentors, a retired ceramic tile
contractor, Jay Williams. He do
nated both his times and skills in
making Lisa’s dream become a
reality. “I learned a great deal
about tile installation,” Lisa ad
mits.
All of the panels will now have
to be hand grouted due to the un
evenness of the tile surfaces.
When totally finished, Lisa hopes
it will be a project which will be
visited by the students through
their adult years and into their
children’s or even grandchil
dren’s school years.
Lisa is a 1983 graduate of Bed
ford High School. She is the
daughter of William and Char
lotte Schaeffer of Friends Cove
and is married to professional
artist Brice Miller. They reside in
Morrison’s Cove.
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