Deck the Halls

Visual art students at Watauga High School are literally getting their hands dirty in the first week of a hands-on art residency with clay and mosaic artist Pam Brewer.

This week is the first of a two-week-long residency that will culminate in the completion of a large clay mosaic in the main commons area of the new high school.

Pam Brewer, who is a Watauga High School alumnus, said, “The intention of the mosaic is to create a timeless work of art honoring the educators and the students that have come before and to pave the way for those that will follow. With this amazingly powerful new work, we will be honoring the old school and the dream fulfilled with this new facility, recognizing that though the halls of learning may change, the process of learning is timeless.”

When completed, the finished mosaic will cover about 120 square feet covering the back side of the elevator shaft on the main floor of the school near the lobby. This week, students are learning about the project, planning and creating small clay pieces that will be incorporated into the finished piece which will be completed during the spring semester of 2012.

This public art project came about as a collaboration of the Watauga Arts Council and the Watauga County Schools in an effort to celebrate the recent move of Watauga High School to its new facility and to honor the community that shares and enjoys the new space.

For more information on this project and other art in education programs of the Watauga Arts Council, contact Christy Blair Chenausky at (828) 264-1789 or christy@watauga-arts.org.