NewsUpper SchoolFine Arts
Campus Aesthetics Enhanced by Mural Project
Aug 25, 2000 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Splashes of bold color bring hallways alive, and classrooms are brightened by eye-catching compositions, indulging students in a sensory delight. That is the vision that Kathy O’Mara, art instructor, conceived and executed over the years. The senior art collection and the Darlington print collection have circulated art around the school, heightening the aesthetic appeal of building interiors and showcasing the creative work done by talented Darlington students. In an effort to fill the walls of every department with art, two years ago, O’Mara and her art students embarked on the mural project. Students divided into teams, chose a location or department, and developed an idea for their pieces. The undertaking was continued last year, and O’Mara expects to establish it as an ongoing project and a permanent collection.
"It gives other departments an appreciation of the versatility of the students," O’Mara said. "The mural project is particularly interesting because the choice of space or department is made by the student."
The project has been several years in the making, originating when Kawamura Science Center was erected. Art capturing the majesty of nature, the perplexing spiral of a DNA strand, the awesomely destructive power of an atomic explosion, and the deceptively simple skeletal and muscular structure of the human body spread throughout the building’s walls and classrooms. Students had a full interdisciplinary experience of art and science converging as they brought together the abstract and the concrete.
O’Mara has been pleased to see her idea spring to life, and students, faculty, and visitors to the school will be able to enjoy the works for years to come. "If we don’t repeat this project this year, we will definitely do another series next year. We are always looking for new and better opportunities to spread art around the schools!" O’Mara said.
Advanced students in Art II and Art III rendered the pieces. The original scenes and representations for Kawamura were created by Robert Worrill ’89, Kathryn Oyler ’89, Will Fowler ’88, Jodi Davis ’89, Catherine Sanders ’89, and Mandy Smithson ’88. The mural in the math department was painted by Shannon Thomas ’98, Ricardo Velez, former student, Erika Mitchell ’98, Paige Booker ’98, Billy Chung ’98. The science department was enhanced again in phase two of the project by the creation of Edward Mundy ’98, Ras Fincher ’98, Rebekah Kerr ’99, and Ikue Aoyagi ’98. Sara Bauldauf-Wagner ’99, Helen Hsu ’99, Erin Eddings ’98, Regan Maki ’98, Molly Smith ’99, and Liz Levy ’00 have work adorning the walls of the English department. The school store has had two installations; the first one was done by Young-Jun Choi ’00, Jennie Wright ’99, Leigh Ann Kennedy ’98, Molly Kelly ’98, and Emily Hoglund ‘98, and the later one was produced by Sana Hakata ’00, Stephanie Booker ’00, Alexis Adams ’00, Wyatt Mooring, senior, and Elizabeth Logsdon, senior. The foreign language department houses the work of Etsuko Ohkusa ’98, Steve Martin ’99, Tav Shande ’98, and Lansana Shorrow ’98. Akiko Shimakawa ’98, Junko Kurata, 99, and Masaki Schultz ’98 are responsible for a pieces designated for the history department. Joanna Mundy, senior, Young-Jun, Yu-Suk Jung ’00, Won-Suk Chang ’00, and Do-Wan Kim, senior, painted an addition. Janet Parker, senior, and Lauren Maki, senior, made a work for the Learning Center. Morgan McCrary, senior, and Shelby Sams ’00 collaborated on a mural for the fine arts department. The post office was the recipient of the mural produced by Hisako Sakemoto ’00, Victoria Shin ’00, and Yohei Ohta ’00. Chris Mouron ’00, Beth Mooney ’00, Mary Foss ’00, and Stuart Minshew ’00 donated their work to humanities.
"It gives other departments an appreciation of the versatility of the students," O’Mara said. "The mural project is particularly interesting because the choice of space or department is made by the student."
The project has been several years in the making, originating when Kawamura Science Center was erected. Art capturing the majesty of nature, the perplexing spiral of a DNA strand, the awesomely destructive power of an atomic explosion, and the deceptively simple skeletal and muscular structure of the human body spread throughout the building’s walls and classrooms. Students had a full interdisciplinary experience of art and science converging as they brought together the abstract and the concrete.
O’Mara has been pleased to see her idea spring to life, and students, faculty, and visitors to the school will be able to enjoy the works for years to come. "If we don’t repeat this project this year, we will definitely do another series next year. We are always looking for new and better opportunities to spread art around the schools!" O’Mara said.
Advanced students in Art II and Art III rendered the pieces. The original scenes and representations for Kawamura were created by Robert Worrill ’89, Kathryn Oyler ’89, Will Fowler ’88, Jodi Davis ’89, Catherine Sanders ’89, and Mandy Smithson ’88. The mural in the math department was painted by Shannon Thomas ’98, Ricardo Velez, former student, Erika Mitchell ’98, Paige Booker ’98, Billy Chung ’98. The science department was enhanced again in phase two of the project by the creation of Edward Mundy ’98, Ras Fincher ’98, Rebekah Kerr ’99, and Ikue Aoyagi ’98. Sara Bauldauf-Wagner ’99, Helen Hsu ’99, Erin Eddings ’98, Regan Maki ’98, Molly Smith ’99, and Liz Levy ’00 have work adorning the walls of the English department. The school store has had two installations; the first one was done by Young-Jun Choi ’00, Jennie Wright ’99, Leigh Ann Kennedy ’98, Molly Kelly ’98, and Emily Hoglund ‘98, and the later one was produced by Sana Hakata ’00, Stephanie Booker ’00, Alexis Adams ’00, Wyatt Mooring, senior, and Elizabeth Logsdon, senior. The foreign language department houses the work of Etsuko Ohkusa ’98, Steve Martin ’99, Tav Shande ’98, and Lansana Shorrow ’98. Akiko Shimakawa ’98, Junko Kurata, 99, and Masaki Schultz ’98 are responsible for a pieces designated for the history department. Joanna Mundy, senior, Young-Jun, Yu-Suk Jung ’00, Won-Suk Chang ’00, and Do-Wan Kim, senior, painted an addition. Janet Parker, senior, and Lauren Maki, senior, made a work for the Learning Center. Morgan McCrary, senior, and Shelby Sams ’00 collaborated on a mural for the fine arts department. The post office was the recipient of the mural produced by Hisako Sakemoto ’00, Victoria Shin ’00, and Yohei Ohta ’00. Chris Mouron ’00, Beth Mooney ’00, Mary Foss ’00, and Stuart Minshew ’00 donated their work to humanities.
