A group of fourth quarter sixth and eighth grade art students left their mark on West Liberty Middle School with the end of the school year helping paint wall murals in the school that will be part of the environment for years to come.
Directed by middle school sixth to eighth grade art teacher Shawn McLeod, the students painted murals in two different classrooms including the music room and the art classroom, getting a chance to finally get some in-classroom training after months of hybrid learning that included virtual education for many.
The students painted a black and white floral mural in the art classroom, completed with some of the sixth grade art enrichment students as well. Eighth grade enrichment students painted a piano keyboard mural in the music room of the school for Brenda Miller, designed by eighth grader Desiree Romero, one of the students in the program.
McLeod, who has taught in the school for nine years and was instrumental in designing and painting a huge mural in downtown West Liberty last summer, said students were excited about the long-lasting project. “It was a great way for them to leave their mark within the building and add to the classroom earning environments,” she said.
The teacher said because of the pandemic, she was forced to have two smaller groups, so that helped in making her decision to proceed with the project, hustling to get it done before the end of the school year.
“We can always add more to this design in the future, with more layers of drawings to fill more of the wall space around my white board,” said McLeod.
She said students adapted quickly to creating art on a wall rather than on paper. “They were surprised how simple the concept was of layering their drawings, combining them with one another using the overhead projector,” she said, noting the drawings were then projected onto the wall, keeping the proportions and drawings that the students made. She said it wasn’t easy, noting students found their arm getting tired in trying to accomplish such a large-scale project.
She said they learned a few things as well. “They saw the need for precision and taking their time as they drew it out on the wall using their paint markers as the design was projected,” McLeod said.
The teacher said she had to adjust her teaching style this year due to the pandemic, using minimal materials so the lessons would apply to both online and in-classroom students, pacing weekly goals for art education. “Keeping in mind social distancing and sharing of materials limited the amount of materials used and collaborative works, completed this school year,” McLeod said. She said both students and teachers learned a lot this year with the virtual component, noting, “It has impacted my methods and use of technology in the classroom.”
She said the project had a plant, floral and many classroom plants that are used for “inspiration for student works” and exploration during the real life unit surround organic influence, noting the project.
She said the sixth grade black and white project adds contrast to classroom walls previously done with the eighth grade art class earlier in the year, with what McLeod said had “bright splashes of color.”
Sixth grade students working on the project included Isaac Aragon, Evelyn Gillespie, Kenley Harned, Landon Krumbholtz, Emmanuel Martinez, Heather Powers, Marley Simon, Danielle Tompkins and Jayden Thammavongsa.
The teacher said she was “impressed” with the efforts of the young art students, noting, “That’s something to be proud of.”