Tile Wall Mural: A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

Bob Yost and our new tile wall mural

Dedicated on Saturday, August 17, 2013 in memory of former LCCS principal and lifelong learner, Kymberlea Calco, who went home to be with the Lord on February 1, 2012.

Tile Wall Mural: A Glimpse

"Lake Center Christian School assists Christian families and their churches in equipping students for lifelong learning and service to Christ.  Lake Center Christian School offers an accredited Preschool - 12 education, which is centered in Christ."

An advance peek at one of the tiles

Our mission statement pops up on all sorts of official correspondence, advertising and even our web page.  I should know it by heart, having taught here for 16 years, but sadly I don't.  Never having been all that great at memorization, I'm much more likely to remember something if I can actually see it.  When the chance came to pitch an idea for an installation art work on the foyer wall, it seemed like a great opportunity to interpret our mission statement using the language of visual art.

The big ideas upon which the composition rests, "lifelong learning", and  "service to Christ", drive the mural's design.  After discussion with a number of  people, visiting ceramic artist, Bob Yost, drafted an initial concept for a finished work centered around an empty space shaped in the form of a cross.  All 23 tile panels work together to describe our school community, faith, and what lifelong learning and servanthood look like.

I love the fact that the mural's visual impact engages the viewer in new things to see over a period of time due to the rich layering of meaning and design.  Since I don't want to deny you the joy of your own discoveries, my explanations will stay in draft form on my drawing table.  In any event, even if I don't know the mission statement verbatim, the meat of it is in my head because I can now see it on the wall.

Come to the mural dedication on Saturday, August 17th at 12:15 in the main school foyer during our "Family Fun Day" celebration to see it for yourself!

Tile Wall Mural: The Work of Many Hands

What does one do with a big bare wall that greets visitors at our entrance?  During the winter and spring of last school year, visiting ceramic artist, Bob Yost, worked with hundreds of LCCS students to address that question.  Conceiving a ceramic work that would embody the school’s mission statement, Mr. Yost could be seen frequently ferrying crates of clay slabs to and from the art room eventually emerging with the pieces parts that would comprise the finished work.

Mr. Yost demonstrates to young students how to create texture in their clay

Working the stamps with Mr. Yost

It was always a welcome change of pace when we set aside our regular art project in order to pick up some clay and work on the tile wall mural. Little ones created “energy” by tapping their fingers into a soft clay surface resulting in beautiful pattern variations for background tiles.  Older students as well as adults used letter stamps pressed into slabs to spell out bible verses.  These worked as  stand -alone tiles as well as a textural element.  High school art students took on the task of forming three-dimensional shapes in addition to executing representational imagery.  

Stamping in text

Last winter a friend shared a song with me called  “Why it Matters” by Sara Groves.  Whenever I listen to it, I'm reminded that beauty matters because it’s a reflection of God’s creative character.  Many hands in our school community, orchestrated by a talented visiting artist, joined together to make something of lasting visual impact because beauty matters.

Next week: A glimpse at the finished work