Permanent & Temporary- School Murals as Community Builders (HS/Discussion, Forum)

Colleagues from Pembina Trails School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:  Mary Ferguson and Marilee Van Nice will share creative approaches to mural making. Projects will be explored from the beginning stages, which included learning about and from local and non-local artists, planning and collaborating on a design, and finally creating the artwork. 

Marilee will share two temporary mural projects from her school that were inspired by artists Christie Belcourt and Michel Townsend. Both were installed in the school temporarily, freeing up space for future projects. They were created by multiple grades and classes in an early and middle years school, allowing students to have a chance to personally express themselves while inspiring each other. The artwork was playful and whimsical, using glow-in-the-dark paint for one and coloured tape for the other. The murals celebrated the art program at the school and were enjoyed by the whole school and surrounding community.  

Mary will share a year-long project that culminated in a permanent mural painted in her school’s front entrance. The mural was created by a grade7/8 class of art students after learning about local natural ecosystems, animals, and plants. Learning took place in the classroom and on site during learning-to-learn opportunities at museums, public art installations, galleries, and visits to natural wetlands in our province. They connected with artists and local Indigenous Elders and knowledge keepers to further develop their learning. Local mural artists, Kal Barteski and Fred Thomas, worked with students to learn about the logistics of painting a mural as well as the importance of meaning and social action in art. The painting was unveiled as an end-of-year celebration after students completed a year-long big project cross-curricular learning program.