JUNE 7TH 2016
ARTICLE BY: ARTS INTEGRATION MENOMONIE
According to the UW-Stout Art Education students, the mural is in the style of artist Chuck Close and encompasses the theme of sustainability, utilizing approximately 7,000 recycled bottle caps.
“This entire mural would not have been possible without help from the Downsville Elementary staff and students. We really have to thank all of the parents, friends and families that saved up thousands of bottle caps and took the time to help us complete the mural. It is incredible to see the entire community come together to create this large scale piece that will be displayed and enjoyed by many for years to come,” shared artist Abby Henderson.
“Working with the school and having the support of the community to collect the plastic bottle caps was an awesome learning experience. We worked with classroom teachers so almost every student got to create a shape within the mural. Hearing the students talk about their shapes and the mural in general is really rewarding,” agreed Grace Rogers.
Henderson and Rogers estimate they spent a total of 45 hours on the 7 feet tall by 14 feet wide mural. “We're really happy with how it turned out,” commented Grace Rogers. “Participating in the PAINT (Program for Arts Integration for New Teachers) program has been another wonderful opportunity provided by the UW-Stout Art Education program. It is not the norm to be able to add a collaborative mural project to your resume before graduation and through A.I.M.’s support Abby and I are able to do that.“
“The P.A.I.N.T. program has provided paid internships like this mural project to UW-Stout students who are going into teaching professions,” states A.I..M. Executive Director Tami Weiss. “These opportunities allow for many hands-on teaching and learning experiences through the arts, which ends up being a win-win for pre-service teachers and the students in the schools.”