“”LA CROSSE, Wis., (May 25, 2021) – Students at Spence Elementary School are working to elevate spirits and strengthen community bonds through the creation of a community mural project for the school’s garden.
The outdoor garden space at Spence Elementary is unique in that it provides an alternative teaching space for immersive and experiential learning group activities, where students interact with one another and their plant and animal neighbors, growing cycles, season changes, and elemental interactions. The space also serves as a place for reflection. Enjoyed collectively and individually, the school garden has become a place for regulation and quiet contemplation, offering students a space that supports quiet, calm, and balance.
The garden mural project is an all-inclusive artist-in-residency, giving students the opportunity to work with a professional artist in the development and creation of a community outdoor mural. The resulting project will beautify the multi-use space and increase school and community pride in both staff and students.
Professional artist in residence, Natalie Hinahara, continues work this week on the mural with Spence students ages 4 to 12-years-old. Hinahara is a Wisconsin-born and raised painter, printmaker, and muralist living in Viroqua, Wis. Her work is informed by the landscapes, ecosystems, and living beings of the Great Lakes and Driftless Regions of the Midwest.
“I’m really excited to give the students the experience of painting something large that will be a permanent part of their space,” said Hinahara. “It’s an opportunity for them to see that being an artist is something you can do with your life as a career, and not limited to just being a hobby. As far as the imagery of the mural, I am drawing inspiration from perennial plants and critters that are native to this area to create a scene of mutual thriving and nourishment. I’m hoping the mural can serve as an additional reminder of the way that we humans are all deeply connected to and dependent on the living beings around us.”
The project is funded by the Spence Elementary PTO, the Beer by Bike Brigade, and the Spence Garden Committee.
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