highlights

Pittsburgh Concord K-5

The 2019-2020 school year marked the second Artist Residency Project completed in partnership with art teacher Christopher Basel, and the amazing students, administration, staff, and teachers at Pittsburgh Concord K-5.

The school community was introduced to the concept of an Artist Residency Project in the 2018-2019 school year, during which a core group of 73 fifth grade students worked with Resident Artist Laura Jean McLaughlin to create a ceramic tile mosaic mural. It showed visitors to the school what the students were learning and touches on all subjects including math, English Language Arts, science, art, and social studies. Students in all grade levels were able to place tiles and all who attended the final unveiling after installation were thrilled with the results.

Building on this success, Mr. Basel welcomed Resident Artist Lindsay Huff into his art room in winter 2020. The new class of fifth grade students completed an ambitious aluminum can collage mural based on a concept discussed in a planning meeting with school staff and beautifully illustrated by Mr. Basel, not only an extraordinary educator, but a talented artist as well. After learning the process by creating take home aluminum can collages, the students began to work collaboratively on their large aluminum can mural triptych, to be installed in the main entrance of the school and welcoming visitors and students with an interpretation of the rolling hills and elegant houses of the own neighborhood and a comet (the school mascot) soaring past a majestic tree and into the night sky. The aluminum can mural was completed in March 2020 just before Covid-19 closed down schools for the year. We look forward to the installation and unveiling of the mural in the new school year!