Moving mural
Thanks to a $500 grant from the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees, a mobile mural depicting Canonsburg will soon make its way through the borough.
Under the direction of art teacher Lauren Bizich, Canonsburg Middle School students created six panels depicting downtown buildings that have interactive components, like LED lights.
“We started by learning and talking about murals and their purpose, and spent a brief time on the history of Canonsburg,” said Bizich. “We took panoramic photos of downtown and recreated the picture.”
In addition to painting the murals, students created circuits that will power interactive light switches.
While students tried to paint realistic buildings, they used more expression in the backgrounds.
“We decided a dusk sky with the lighted components made sense,” Bizich said.
Made from acrylic paint, LED lights, and clay, the panels can be hung and moved.
Students kept the characteristics of the buildings, but took artistic license with the background and sky.
Students built the circuits that power the lights, which can be turned off and on by spectators.
About 300 students had a hand in the mural’s creation. They started working on the project in April and were finishing this week.
The mural will be revealed during the middle school’s art show on Wednesday in the gym. From 6 to 8 p.m., the chorus, jazz and steel band will perform, snacks from the consumer science department will be available and student artwork, including drawings, paintings and graffiti-inspired projects, will be displayed. The theme is “City.”
After spending time at the middle school, the mural will find its next temporary home in the Frank Sarris Public Library. Bizich is working to secure other viewing spaces in the borough to display the mural.
“I had never done anything like this before,” said Bizich. “The students really worked hard on this.”