Elementary School Students’ Drawings May Be Used in an Upcoming Downtown Mural
Saturday | January 20 | AMA Classroom
Elementary school students can have a hand in the design of a downtown Albany mural by participating in the free Mural Drawing Workshop on Saturday, Jan 20 at the Albany Museum of Art.
Designs by the young artists at Saturday’s workshop, which will be held from 10-11:30 am in the AMA Classroom, will be forwarded to muralist Ramiro Davaro-Comas. The New York artist, whose exhibition Familias closed earlier this month at the AMA, will review the submissions for possible inclusion in the design for a mural that will be created in late spring or early summer in downtown Albany.
“The workshop on Saturday will be led by members of the AMA Teen Art Board,” Director of Education and Public Programming Annie Vanoteghem said. “They are collaborating with Ramiro and envision that the mural will feature artwork created by local elementary students. Kids from Dougherty County and surrounding communities are invited to this free workshop. In a way, it’s a ‘pre-view’ of the upcoming mural project.”
The members of the Teen Art Board, an organization that helps high school students learn how to be community leaders and doers, hope the public art project will be inspirational, help destigmatize downtown Albany, and be a visible part of the downtown revitalization, Vanoteghem said.
“Public art like this can bring a vibrancy to an area by brightening the environment,” she said. “The teens on our art board have a vested interest in the future of Albany and Southwest Georgia, as do the kids in grades 1 through 5, who have a chance to immortalize their art for decades to come. They want to help make Albany an attractive place for people and businesses in the coming years when they will be the leaders and decision-makers.”
Davaro-Comas has been involved in several successful mural projects through Super-Stories, a non-profit arts education program that he and his wife, Grace Lang, created to facilitate community storytelling through public art, hands-on artmaking experiences, and partnerships with local artists and educators. Super-Stories has created murals at locations including Kington, N.Y.; Schenectady, N.Y.; Rutland, Vt.; Leeds, Mass.; and Albany, N.Y.
“We trust the power of public art to communicate with broad audiences and feel these large-scale artworks are most compelling when they center students’ voices,” Lang and Davaro-Comas describe murals created by Super-Stories. “Our mural collaborations and other hands-on art workshops offer young people the chance to build confidence, focus, and expand their critical thinking skills.”
There is no cost to attend Saturday’s workshop, but participants are asked to RSVP HERE.
Locations for the mural are currently being scouted, Vanoteghem said. The Teen Art Board has been raising funds over the school year to finance the project. The next mural project fundraiser is at the Albany Museum of Art on Feb 14. Art board members will host a pajama party for kids ages 4-12 from 5:30-8 pm, allowing the participants’ parents to have a Valentine’s Day evening out. The cost for kids to attend the Valentine’s Parents Night Out Party is $25, or $20 for AMA donors. A registration link for the party may be found HERE.
Details about the Super Stories non-profit art education program may be found HERE.
AMA EXHIBITIONS
- Escape Plan, an installation by Elinor Saragoussi, is in the West Gallery.
OPENING SOON
- Gold Soundz, works by Rob Matre is Feb 1-April 20, in the Haley Gallery.
- Andy Warhol: Hand-Colored Flowers is Feb 1-April 20, in the East Gallery.
- Educators as Artists, 5th juried exhibition, is Feb 1-April 20 in the McCormack Gallery.
- Old Master Drawings from the Shaffer Collection opens Feb 1 in the Hodges Gallery.
ABOUT THE ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART
The Albany Museum of Art is located at 311 Meadowlark Drive in Albany, Ga., adjacent to Albany State University West Campus just off Gillionville Road. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Albany Museum of Art is open to the public 10 am-5 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is free.
For more information about the AMA please visit our website, www.albanymuseum.com, or call 229.439.8400. Be sure to follow the @AlbanyArtMuseum on Twitter, AlbanyMuseum on Instagram, and AlbanyMuseumOfArt on Facebook.
