In the main entrance of Penfield Montessori Academy, two dozen kindergarten and first grade students sat on the floor, staring excitedly at the new mural that hung on the wall before them. In partnership with the Milwaukee Art Museum, the school had unveiled a new mural on the left wall of their main entrance on Tuesday, February 21, to the delight of students and teachers.
Wall-high and featuring bright, colorful flowers and shelves of school-themed objects, the mural aims to provide a more welcoming environment for students and their families. It is among the first pieces of art to be installed in the school, which opened to K3, K4, K5 and first grade students in September 2016.
The mural was inspired by the drawings of children and families who visited the Nature and Opulence: the Art of Martin Johnson Head exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum and participated in art activities after. According to Emily Sullivan, director of youth and community programs at the museum, the museum became involved in the mural project because it would allow them to connect both the Montessori students and the children coming through their museum.
“It was a great opportunity to help beautify their new school, and it was really fun for our visitors not just to stop into the studio to make something for themselves, but to make something they knew another child would enjoy,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan said that the mural was designed to connect to the Penfield Montessori students. They strategically placed the section of the mural with school-themed objects at eye-level to the students, so that the children could easily see and connect to familiar objects. They decided to place the flowers above this section in a nod to the school’s future garden, which will soon be planted outside the school.
The Penfield community was also satisfied with how the design turned out. Christine Holmes, president and CEO of the Penfield Children Center, said that the design also reflects the school’s mission.
“The colors and the beauty of nature represented in the mural is something that Maria Montessori always emphasized,” said Holmes. “It has the shelves right below it, which emphasize the different lessons that are available to students in the Montessori model.”
To expand their horizons, the students at Penfield Montessori rely on partnerships like the one with the Milwaukee Art Museum.
“Our kids come from some of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods of Milwaukee, so we really try to get involved with our partners to get these children exposed to art,” said Holmes. “Some of our children would never have been to the museum or the zoo unless we had taken them there.”
After the mural was unveiled, students had their own chance to paint with the help of Sullivan’s team from the art museum. The student’s paintings will be prominently displayed in their own classrooms.
The exhibit that inspired the mural, Nature and Opulence: the Art of Martin Johnson Head, is open through Sunday, February 26, at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
