BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS sPoTLIGHTS RCPS Neve eran Making Meaningful Art _ cr Jon tho tas. sunny day of tho schoo year, whan children across Batiners va0ie | County ned har sig et on summer break yawning before them, =a studerts at Sonelesh Elementary School gazed intent instead on sx, a ongray-olorod panes adoring err snoetneube wall. = Ie was tre t ual aspect project at Stoneleigh 2010 -wnat do you 07” Principal Christine Wacner asked our group of students as thay - and th schon aor cron all roreng~ bogan to Jaks thar way tough the ron carmone area ara down a halt th ‘schoo! cafeteria, near where the lst ofthe panes was played. "What laces do you soo?” ‘Te srawore came fet ‘Mountain! fret" “A ty!"*The base" *A farm! ‘Te cidron would now dospt th stylized artwork, a sor of coage- mural. Tho panel was crowded with iagos {nd shapes and color, depicting he communis and natura regons of Manfand: twas at ey had chosen rd Inapree The panels ware par ote pojact te create "Grocn School themed at tveugh a unique calaboraion| between a of Stoneleigh stents and award-winning ats dy Wolf Schiossbery-Coren, Starting in March, studonis in ach grade ovelresoarchod topics relate to envonmontal education ~ seasens he CChesapacke tay or ndangere animal for exarmla, Using images end ceas gather and cesta by stuns — thalartwork dal ned the halways =r Jay" and his susent helpers went to wor to create each ofthe six panes, ‘one representing each grade lve “Tho goal o ts project fo was to rast an opportunty fer students to parispat na community project that would say wih hem long afer the work was over” sad Stoneleigh art eacher Dana Lnk who assed 817,00 lo accomlsh the inetataten “Studane were challenged to fook athe envcrmant aa 2 whole ~ the problems, the solos, tha ways in which we can celebrate the arth aris beauty and be wasn which we may feel empowered to hel. Link sid, “The ty famed projects "Groon oreams: Wo Aro Stoward.” =. Tho impacto this prope wil empower ie ae and Inspr he wer of ne work for yor fo coma” In each panel, Cohen hid Maryland's offal sat insect, the checkerspot bute, as. ute to Stoneleigh, And inthe final pane neath lunen room, one depicting the school Mousa and environment of te eurounding neighborhood. (Cohen Inciced rtf checkospetbuterfies hovering over Tie roo ofthe ulin, Formany ofthe student atts, the projet was a hit. "twas bigger than | thought was going to be. Peope wl \wondor what ai of te objects are," aaid Grade 1 eudent Clementine Unga, My hole far cint kn ab0Ut the Chacterspot buttery, ane ow canal them about” Acted Evan Cine, 2 Grade 1 student was excing because we didn know how itwould turn out. But when was fired, twas fartase. Pepto wil wonder, Who made tnat7™ ‘And Grade 5 student Molly Kinkead, herself moving on to middle school and pondering te legacy she helped to leave boeing, said, “twas fun tobe apart ofthe mural because it wil be there along time" (Cohen sald worklng wth the students and taking inspiration from ther artwork was a wonderful process In the fn stages of completing ne pana in his studio and preparing to dsplay thom atthe school, parents pitched ino help. ‘Asked ihe was pleased with tho fnal product, Cohon cris his esistans. "Why did ium out so wall” he asks ‘hetorcaly as he greets another gaggle o sudenis, "Wel | had 750 assistants.” \Wamer says the project was abit unusual for Cohen, who typically specializes in community-based public ar. He tsuelly Works only on muras, so this was realy asking him fo do something outside his comfort zone,” she sac "The overarching theme that We are Stewards’ Is also representative \Wamer said. "Vie are stewards othe chien and families we serve, ‘They entrust their hidron tous each day for more waking hours than ‘hey actualy have to spend wih them, knowing full wel tat they wil loamand achiove wel. Final, sald Wamer, who retired this year after 31 years in publ ‘education, it algo completes the Vision fr tne look | has hoped for in finishing ou newiy-rnovated schoolhouse! The work inspired by chhdran and has a profound chicks quality that craws you nto tv remarkable place o leering "Ihwas such a remarkable way o end our year.” ‘oy hhc by Cts des OPS Crit Spat