Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - Manchester Junior High School students and faculty are teaming up with parents, community members and local businesses to complete a 10-foot sculpture of a Page, the school's mascot.
"It's called a collaborative sculpture," MJHS art teacher Lynn Watson said. "It brings students, parents and patrons from the community together to work on this. It's really neat."
Brainstorming and organizing for the project has already begun and assembling of the Page begins Nov. 6. Dedication day is Nov. 17.
Watson refers to the two-week project as the MJH Artist-In-Residence 2000 project. An informational meeting was held Tuesday at the school. Approximately 30 volunteers were present at the meeting, including MJH teachers, parents, Manchester College students and local business representatives.
"We've got generations working together with one common goal in mind," Watson said.
The 10-foot, three-dimensional abstract sculpture will be built with recycled items from the community.
Joe LaMantia, a visual arts instructor for more than 15 years, will work closely with those involved to build the sculpture.
Watson said LaMantia, who lives in Bloomington, will stay with host families during the two-week project. He has been creating collaborative sculpture since 1993 and prefers to work with groups of children, parents and teachers. He contributes his unique approach through the artist-in-residency programs like MJHS' program. These programs are offered by the children's arts organizations: Young Audiences of Indiana and Very Special Arts Indiana.
Watson said kids will be paired with adults from the community "to learn how to do things properly" when assembling the 10-foot Page.
But for the project to be successful, lots of man hours and lots of volunteers will be needed.
"The students must be involved as much as possible," Watson said.
Watson said students came up with the idea to build a 10-foot Page out of recycled materials. "Each kid submitted a drawing" of the school mascot, she said.
Out of nearly 300 entries, MHS freshman Mathis Miller's drawing was selected.
Watson said students and staff agreed to use Miller's drawing as the blueprint for the sculpture. She said students selected red, black, white and silver as the sculpture's colors. Miller's drawing will be blown up to 8 feet to help volunteers and students visualize the project.
"It's a total school involvement," Watson said of the project. She said teachers are incorporating the project with their lessons in class. Some are focusing on the historical and medieval aspects and others on more present times.
Tuesday's informational meeting allowed volunteers to sign up in the following categories: host families for LaMantia, set-up committee, meals for LaMantia during his stay, "go-fers," digital photography for the school's Web site and supervisors.
Watson said people are needed to take digital photos of the project's progression. The photos will be posted on the school's Web site at www.mcs.k12.in.us/mjh She said the Web site will allow people to "stay current with the project as it's being completed."
The project also has several forms of funding. "As far as funding," Watson said, "we're on solid ground."
MJHS received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Wabash County last spring. The project also is funded by the Optimist Club, Tri Kappa and Kiwanis, along with help from various local businesses and individuals. Tsi Iota Xi Sorority also gave a sizeable donation as well, and, Watson said, Gratz will use incentive money and other funding the school already has toward the project.
"We're really fortunate to have (these) donation(s)," Watson said.
"It's going to be somewhat abstract and it's literally going to be anchored into the wall," Watson said of the sculpture. She said the MJH stage and auditorium will be the workstations for students.
Although many materials have already been donated, Watson said, a number of items is still needed to complete the sculpture. She advised volunteers and donors Tuesday to "try to figure out where your stuff will go on his (Page) body." She said donated items can be taken to the warehouse behind MJHS and items should be metal and "hand-sized."
Clean-up is set for Nov. 16 and dedication day is Nov. 17 when the sculpture will be presented to the school.
"Any money we don't spend will go back to those who graciously donated," Watson said.
For that two weeks, we're going to be real casual around here," Watson said. "When it's all done, we're going to be real tired, but, (it's going to give) a fresh perspective to teaching and learning."
