Mosaic Mural Residency
Summit Hall Elementary School
Lead Artist: Carien Quiroga
Art Teacher: Kimberly Brown
Project
in
Grant
funded by Arts Residencies
Schools
South African-born Artist, Carien Quiroga worked collaboratively through the Creative Process with all 3rd Grade students and their Art Teacher Ms. Kimberly Brown at Summit Hall Elementary school to create a large-scale glass mosaic mural that will be permanently installed on the exterior façade of the school. Students problem solved, led decision-making and shared ideas throughout the project.
During this collaborative mosaic mural making residency, students learned about the history and culture of South Africa and found inspiration in their own personal heritage and traditions to design the mural. Students learned mosaic techniques and construction methods to create a mosaic mural that visually reflected “Togetherness & Connection” in the school community as a celebration of the many cultures and voices it represents.
Mural Themes & Design
Inspiration:
• Togetherness & Connection
• Unity in personal experiences
• Community
• Celebrating who we are as a school community
Students explored ways to visually express their ideas into a mural design.
• They explored glass as an artistic medium, learning mosaic techniques and the safe use of tools.
• Students learned glass mosaic techniques by creating smaller individual elements first that were integrated into the larger mosaic mural and then scaffolded to working collaboratively on the large-scale mural.
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• Students applied their newly acquired artistic skills to the construction of a large-scale challenging project.
• The students continuously evaluated visual elements and adjusted the design and/or their artistic approach.
• Student collaboration, problemsolving and collective decisionmaking were central to the project.
Selected student reflections:
• One thing I liked about the mural was it was made out of very colorful pieces of glass.
What did you like?
• One thing I liked about the mural project was being able to watch my students collaborate and work together on this project. It was really great to see all of them come together and work so hard from start to finish! (3rd Grade Classroom Teacher)
• One thing I liked about the mural project was placing the mosaic pieces/tesserae.
• I liked having freedom and working with our classmates and use teamwork.
• I liked that everyone worked together to make a piece for the mural.
• I liked drawing my ideas.
• Having freedom to do what I wanted on the project.
• I like how we all got to communicating ����
• I liked how everyone got to create a part of the mural.
• I liked leaning how to cut tiles.
• l liked working with my classmates.
• Teamwork
• That we all could make beautiful stuff
• The beautiful artwork
• When we almost finished the mural, and it looked cool.
Selected student reflections:
• Patience
• One thing I learned while creating the mural was how art is such a great way to watch students preserve to accomplish something together. (3rd Grade Classroom Teacher)
What did you learn ?
• I learned to keep the textured side of the mosaic pieces facing down.
• One thing i learned was cutting the tiles was a fun job!
• Always wearing safety gear
• I learned that there should be gaps in between the glass and how to cut glass.
• I learned that it is important to be careful around the mural.
• I learned how to cut glass and how to place tiles.
• l learned to cut and create people with tiles.
• That all of us have good ideas
• Perseverance
• Teamwork and staying calm
• Art is fun and creative.
• Not to cut yourself and to always have fun.
• If your scared, don’t be scared
• Probably that art doesn’t have to be beautiful.
At the end of the residency, students completed an exit survey and reflected on the residency including observations on mosaic techniques, the mural making process and the role of artists in the community, artistically expressing themselves and creating a lasting artistic legacy permanently installed in the school that will be seen and appreciated by entire school community.
This project was funded by an Arts Residencies in Schools Grant 2022
Photo credits: Kimberly Brown & Carien Quiroga
