Franklin Middle School - Melodee Strong - 10 hrs
The Franklin kids came by Friday for their last day of spring break academy! Before going into that experience I want to review what I helped with last Tuesday at the Franklin building. This past week the kids helped Melodee Strong paint the mural we prepped in front of their media center. The only day I was able to help out was Tuesday before a Student Union meeting I had at noon. I spent a bit that morning helping Melodee trace the design onto the primed wall and facilitate the kids while they painted the under layer--we as artists help the students fill the design to the best of their abilities, we do not paint for them or make them feel we're the artists creating the piece. This mural is for Franklin Student, by Franklin students!
This Friday was their last day of spring break academy and Melodee organized a field trip to MCAD for it! The kids arrived on campus at 9:30am and I helped as soon as they got off the bus. I helped Melodee give a tour of the school, both of the main building and the Morison building. We visited the main gallery, illustration studios, painting studios, library, drawing rooms, 3d shop, media center, advanced painting studios, etc. We visited all the major spaces on campus. One of the more memorial parts of the tour was when we stopped by the library and the kids had an opportunity to sit down with some pop-up books that library staff courteously put out for us. There's a photo attached at the end of this post!
Around noon we took a break for lunch and went outside to let out some of the energy the kids had after eating. A little later we returned to the main hallway on the first floor started to brain storm for a temporary mural that they were going to paint for MCAD to see! We broke up into groups and each had a section to work on. My group focused on our experience at MCAD and how the north and south side of Minneapolis are different and similar. We worked on the temporary mural until 2pm which was when they had to depart to head back to Franklin. I stayed behind after their departure and cleaned up parts of the mural and cleaned the brushed left behind. Over all this was a great experience! MCAD needs their youthful energy and their creativity--and they delivered!
Working on the mural last Tuesday at Franklin Middle School
Franklin Middle School in MCAD's main gallery!
Beginning to sketch for the temporary mural at MCAD!
Painting the temporary mural at MCAD!