Winthrop Middle School's Talking Wall

2007-06-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

"Journey"
We did come to the conclusion that we needed a title, Journey. The word allows the viewer to bring their own idea of a "journey" to the mural.
This process over the last year has been a journey. I think of the wall and how it look last September. The mural has transformed the cafeteria, its now a space where the movement of color and shape reflect the energy of the middle school student. The rhythm of the composition gives the space a constant feeling of being alive with student life and laughter.
I would like to thank all those who have been involved in this project over the last year. It truly has been a "journey" for the love of art. It has been a journey of faith, many kids said "I think its dumb." Then the mural was transformed by the Winthrop graduates taking the middle school students ideas and creating a mural that is as one student put it, "the coolest thing I have ever seen and I am really proud to have been a part of this." I am proud too! Thanks to all the Winthrop middle school students! You really are a part of the middle school forever!

2007-06-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

2007-06-12T08:16:00.001-07:00

2007-06-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

2007-06-12T08:13:00.001-07:00

2007-06-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the final session with Margy Burns Knight. Each grade level came down and took a closer look at the mural. Then we came up with words to describe the mural. We had a long discussion with each group about the title. Most kids felt that they did not want to title the mural. They felt as though we would be limiting the viewer in their thoughts about the mural. Some kids really wanted a title because it would identify the work and its location. The discussion was in depth and enlightening. Do we title the mural or not? The following words came up over and over again in the conversations.
Journey
Life
Road
Rambling
Us
Our
Dreams

2007-06-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

2007-06-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

2007-06-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

2007-06-07T05:21:00.000-07:00

2007-06-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

2007-06-05T07:33:00.001-07:00

2007-06-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

2007-06-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

Kyle Provencal, Nick Downing and Renee St. Hilaire have begun painting the mural.

2007-06-04T05:38:00.002-07:00

Well, the time is finally here, we are starting the final leg of this journey. The graduates and I as well as some students are going to finalize the composition today. Some decisions have been made and Kyle Provencal is starting his part.

2007-06-04T05:38:00.001-07:00

Margy Burns Knight and Anne Sibley O'Brien, author and illustrator came to Winthrop Middle School to work with each grade level. The mural is based on the Talking Walls books. We were fortunate enough to have 12 original illustrations from the book. Mrs. Criss, the principal, went into each class and asked a question based on the original illustrations from Talking Walls. Students then researched the questions. When Anne and Margy came to work with the students they helped each class complete poetry based on their research. Anne worked on the spot to show how she gets ideas and how important accurate research is to quality work. As Anne was drawing, Margy helped the students create either an ode or cinquain based on their research and ideas for illustrations. What a magical moment for these kids!

2007-05-21T05:09:00.000-07:00

Leaders
from Africa
Abolish Apartheid
Plant trees, U.N., negotiate
Peace Prize

2007-05-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Nelson
Quarry labor
Keeping them all busy
One man, one vote, many protests
Long Walk

2007-05-21T05:06:00.001-07:00

Two walls
Country border
Ten feet and thirty feet high
Barriers, protect, separate
Two sides

2007-05-21T04:53:00.001-07:00

Murals
Stop graffiti
In Philadelphia
History, diversity
We paint
Unite

2007-04-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Kite Days
Independence
Elegance and beauty
The elephant shapes dance for peace
Rejoice

2007-04-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Mecca
Play, run, toss, climb
White robes, many nations
Rituals followed for two weeks
The Hajj

2007-04-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Murals
Revolution
Peasants, soldiers fighting
Opinionated public art
Movement

2007-04-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

Colors
Painting a home
A traditional art
From Japan to Argentina
Living

2007-04-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

2007-04-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

2007-04-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Aboriginie
Art, dots, lines, designs, dreamtime
Rainbow snake spirit

2007-04-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Boys look for their dog
Through the small hole
They crawl down
To see old paintings

2007-04-24T07:25:00.001-07:00

Abenaki art
Near the Kennebec river
Dragons and deer in Maine

2007-04-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

A girl in danger
Then saved by dog
From a snake
Risked his own life

Snow was freezing cold
In the crevice for too long
Saved by dog with strength

2007-04-24T05:26:00.000-07:00

2007-04-11T05:05:00.000-07:00

2007-03-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

These are Ross Hopkins ideas for the mural. He said he was inspired by Salvador Dali.

2007-02-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Kyle's first sketchs, and visit his blog too!!
http://kais-corner.blogspot.com/

2007-02-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

The following stories are from Mrs. Levesque's 7th grade class. The title is "If Walls Could Talk". There were four stories chosen.

"If the walls in my house could talk, they'd tell many tales, but one would stand out above them all. I'm sure it wouldn't be a special tradition to any other family, but it does have its meanings to mine. It's not custom that saves lives or feeds the hungry, it's a custom that gives every person in my family a chance to think up the most creative gift for as little money as possible. So every December, my family and I drive out to the closet strip mall and start out with thirty dollars tops. The goal is to buy the most creative gift for ten dollars, per person. I find that every tradition in my house has a lesson behind it, and this one does indeed. It shows that you don't have to buy 100 dollar gifts to be happy, but that the true meaning of it all is to have fun while shopping for your family, not materialistic items like T.V.'s or diamonds, but little things that mean a lot. So if you look at it all in the end, even shopping for presents can be a tradition.

Adrienne N.

If walls could talk in my grandfathers house they would tell you you about our family tradition of watching the super bowl. First my uncle Gerry comes over to my house with my cousin Tyler and if my aunt Terrie is on call at the hospital he brings my cousin brittany too. Then my cousin and I get all the stuff for our poker game in the case and we all head over to my grandfathers house. Shortly after that my aunt Kathy and uncle Ray come over with my cousin Michael an two huge bowls of chicken wings and her little dog Diamond. As soon as the game starts me and my cousins go in the back room with our bowl of chicken wings, and usually my aunts dog Diamond ends up steeling one of my uncle Ray’s chicken wings and he e chases her around the house like a madman and he also usually gets his chicken wing back and eats it. Finally it is half time and all of my cousins and I start a game of poker while the adults watch. Last year at half time my grandfathers cat escaped outside into his barn and my uncles chased her up to the hay loft where from there she proceeded to jump on the roof. So they jumped down and caught her with a huge fish net and brought her back inside. By the time we got back inside the game had already started and my grandfather had depleted our supply of spicy chicken wings so we had to move on to the bowl of hot wings. And this year I’m sure everything will happen almost the same!

Darian N

Invented way back during World War II, it has been passed down through generations. It's crazy cake, invented by my Great Grandma (or great great grandma) way back when milk and eggs were scarce. Actually, that's why it's called crazy cake. It has no dairy. Comes in handy now, seeing as my dad is lactose intolerant.
It's the only cake my family (on my dad's side) every makes, because he can eat it. Funny thing is, he's the first lactose intolerant person in our family. Before him, we made it 'cause it tasted good!
We make crazy cake whenever we want. Mostly every weekend. I demand to make it every weekend until I memorize the recipe.
It's a yummy cake, and a family recipe. That's kinda cool.

Emma C.

Every year before Christmas our family puts up a Christmas tree. We have never missed putting up a tree for Christmas. Usually we have a 7 foot artificial tree and glass ornaments. First my brothers and I build the tree, starting with the biggest branches on the bottom and working up to the top with the smallest branches. Dad wraps the lights around the tree. Then mom places the glass ornaments on the tree and finishes with the beaded garland.
Last year, when my dad worked out of town, we had Christmas vacation with him in his little apartment. He had two Christmas trees buth they were only two feet tall. They had little ornaments on them and small garland. They had little lights on them, too.
This year we are far from our Kansas home because my dad is working for the state of Maine. We did not bring our Christmas decorations with us. So, we made a five foot tall, flat Christmas tree from construction paper. I made garland out of paper strips which took a few days to put together. We all made the paper ornaments and decorated them with glitter. Mom made the 'lights" with shiny ribbons and the star out of bright yellow paper. Dad and I hung up the Christmas tree on the wall above the sofa. Our family Christmas tradition is still being carried on.

A.J. B.

2007-01-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

PANEL NINE

The following pictures are of the individual mural panels. They are posted so the graduates can look at them and work from the line, color and movement.

2007-01-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

PANEL EIGHT

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PANEL SEVEN

2007-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

PANEL SIX

2007-01-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

PANEL FIVE

2007-01-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

PANEL FOUR

2007-01-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

PANEL THREE

2007-01-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

PANEL TWO

2007-01-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

PANEL ONE

2007-01-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

These photos are of the drawings the graduates created during the brain storming session today.

2007-01-05T05:54:00.000-08:00

More pictures from the graduates.

2007-01-05T05:36:00.000-08:00

2007-01-05T05:32:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a day! What an amazing process!

2007-01-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

PART 4
"If you were to title the mural today what would it be?" Some more thoughts from the 8th grade. If you respond to this blog please refer to the number of the quote in your response. If you wrote it, let us know!

46) "Colors of the World"
I see different colors all swirled together. The colors are bright and vibrant.
I painted swirly lines of pretty colors everywhere on the wall.

47) "The Crazy Fish"
I think that it is confusing and is full of color. I think that there is a lot of work into the painting. It is very special and there is no other one like it in the world.

48) "A World of Colorful Lines"
I see the lines swirling.
I painted the colorful lines while doing a dance.
I thought about being free and taking paint and just splattering the walls.

The Mural is like a world of colorful lines splattered onto one wall of the school. You see a variety of exquisite colors and random lines.

49) "Outrageously Fun"
I think that it needs more to it. I'm not a big fan of it. It looks like a month old baby did it.

50) "Whirlpool Bling!"
It is very beautiful thing. I was thinking about nothing, I was relaxed. It is a bunch of colors, it kinda makes it look like a whirlpool.

51) I think that the mural looks a like a whole bunch of lines. I also think that it looks like a paint bomb, with a whole bunch of paint exploded onto the wall. I see a rainbow that was mixed up.

52) "The Bombshell"
It expresses what truly goes on in the mind of a middle schooler. Some parts are dull and boring.

53) "Us"

54) "The Blinding Wall"
I think it makes me dizzy.
I think it makes me tired.

55) "The Crazy Wall"
I see very messy, colorful, and abstract designs when I paint.
I paint sloppy when I paint.
I think special, and happiness when I think.

56) "Colors"
I think of a mess of colors that have no certain shape, or take no certain skill of drawing or painting to create.

57) "The Wall"
The mural that we did is ours, we are people who are creative, unique, and many more things. Since we are all different, and our self that what we put into the wall. We showed how unique we are. We thought we were going to do a certain thing when we walked down here, but instead we did what our creative mind told us. Not what our brain told us.

2007-01-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

PART 3
"If you were to title the mural today what would it be?" Some more thoughts from the 8th grade. If you respond to this blog please refer to the number of the quote in your response. If you wrote it, let us know!

31)"Life"
It is bright and colorful, full of smiles and laughter.
It is twisted and tangled, confused and lost at times.
It is crazy and unique, original, fun, and wild.
So many people have helped to create and influence it.
The mural is life like.

32) "A Big Messy Creation"
1. i think this painting has many different good things about it, like all the different colorful lines and scribbles.
2. I think that it the gives the cafeteria "Life" to its walls by showing each grades big personality.
3. The painting was a cool way to have fun by not having to make actual objects.
4. Everyone likes to have fun with paint and this is a good way to show everyones personality in one big mural.

33) "The Wall"
It is very colorful.
It looks like a wall.
It is unique.

34)"Exploding Colors"
It expresses peoples thoughts.

35) "The Unknown"
I thought of designs and odd things, so I painted them.

36) "Cosmo"
See: Swirly whirls
Paint: Random color, with bold lines without a pattern.
Think: Abstract, colorful, random.

37) "Road Runner"
I see swiriling whirls.
I did the red zigzags in the bottom corner.
I see the white circles in the middle strip.
Bright colors rule.

38) "Scribbles"

39) "Butterfly's Wings"
This is because all the crazy colors, circles, lines, zigzags and dizzy creations remind me of butterflys. There beautiful wings that made them soar through the air.

40) "The Wonder Wall"
I see creativity in the lines drawn.

41) "Middle School Magic"
It tells who the people are that created it, middleschoolers. It also describes the way we were able to have fun and just let there emotions take off, magic. So as the emotions take you away you can just paint out yourself. Middle School Magic.

42) "Confusing Mess"
I think this mural is very confusing. There are so many different designs. I think this mural is very unique there are very many different personalities put into this wall. There are tons of different colors bringing out how people feel.

43) "Wavy Wonderland"
I think the mural is very colorful and it draws you to it when you come down the stairs! Also it makes the cafeteria look very vibrant. The only downside of it is that it makes the cafeteria look a little smaller.

44) "Chitty-Chitty Splat-Splat"
Harmony
Emotion
Different
Comotion
The different colors are like different emotions. All scribbled together mixed up and made one creation.

45) "Many Colors"
Confused to the point. Makes me dizzy.

2006-12-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

PART 2
"If you were to title the mural today what would it be?" Some more thoughts from the 8th grade. If you respond to this blog please refer to the number of the quote in your response. If you wrote it, let us know!

16) "The Friendship Wall"
I see squiggles and smiles and friendship. We talked about how it was going to look strange when it was done.

17) "Chaos"
This wall is crazy and colorful
The oddness speaks for itself
Unique scibbles of paint make you wonder
Which way is up or down
The colors speak to me
as if the wall was talking

18) "The Wall of Creativity and Individuality"

19) It's ugly and very tacky.

20) I think it looks. . .
ugly
a big mess
colorful
sickness
my messy room (very messy)
wordful
elemental
baby-art
stupid
odd
swirly
calm, yet confusing

21) Strange.

22) "Mural in the Middle"
Colors swirled and twisted upon the wall,
it was made by one and all,
Abstract shapes are made with brushes,
Everyones excited and rushes,
Movement and life is what its made of,
From us to generations to come
Made with love, and fun
Upon the wall is a mural
At the Winthrop Middle School

23) "Our Mural"
I see a mix of colors that have progressed from the first day. We painted a mess because our lives can be messy.

24) "Young Minds"
I think it shows what middle school is about. It reminds me about the hope we have for kids here, I think it brightens up the lunch room. It makes lunch enjoyable. This shows what goes on with a middle schoolers mind. Some colors are dark, some are bright and cheery. Some are flat. Some are swirly. I love what we have done its awesome.

25) "Messy Work"
The mural reminds me of a 5 year old scribbling on the wall with a crayon, then getting in trouble. Then after his hand gets slapped, he goes to the paint drawer and throws paint around, and does the same thing with marker.

26) "Life"
1. Crazy, sometimes confused, messed up.
2. Twisted, tangled, original and fun.
3. Colors swirled and twisted upon the wall, it was made by one and all.

27) "Skittles"
This mural reminds me of a bag of skittles that got put through a blender. I did that once. It was fun. And loud. And sticky. We had to get a new blender. Whoever thought to put chrome on a blender, you rock.

28) "Interwinding Rainbow"
I see colors everywhere coming together to make an almond rainbow.

29) "The Wall"
I see various colors and blends. I painted with out feeling rushed. I see me. I see you. I see the world.

30) When I look, I see an abstract mixture of color and the mixtures of color creates different feelings. A picture of still perfection.

2006-12-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

"If you were to title the mural today what would it be?" Some more thoughts from the 8th grade. If you respond to this blog please refer to the number of the quote in your response. If you wrote it, let us know!

1) "The Magnificent"
I think it looks good. You could see what everyone painted because it is gray. It looks like someone spilled several buckets of paint over it.

2) The mural is a pain to look at during lunch. I'm not opposed to abstract art, but it is not what I think and see. It looks like an attempt to be colorful, but with many mismatched and ugly colors. I hate coming down here and listen to people talk about art like poetry-puke.

3) "Everyone's Creation"
Painting and showing
what we all can do
Some added lots others just a few
Creating life on a blank wall
with extra colors, all barriers fall.
Making it perfect through our eyes.
This is everyones creation from
all the girls and guys.

4) The painting look different in a good way. You don't see this everyday. The colors look good together and I'm sure it will look even better by the end.

5) "Super Swirling Spaghetti" because this is a cafeteria and spaghetti is a food! (This is what was on the rest page for this title)
"I Paint what I See": I see swirls of color, whirling about the wall. Some are dark, some are light.
"I Paint what I Paint": I painted strokes of color, spiraling across the wall. I moved my brush in a circular motion to create a jumble of dizzy lines.
"I Paint what I Think": I think of all the different colors representing all of the different children of the school. None of these lines are the same, just like none of the children at Winthrop Middle School are the same. Everyone is different and that is good.

6) "The Crazy Wall"
I think this wall is a maze. I think this wall reminds me of Winthrop. This wall is a remembering of the 8th grade. This wall is special. This wall we did is the best.

7) "Confusing"
I think it is pointless and should have kept the other ones.

8) "A Piece of Crap"
I think this is the worst painting I have ever seen. It's just a bunch of squiggles. All I see is a bunch of colors. I want the others back.

9) I see a bomb exploding of paint. When I look at it I am given a confused feeling. I see people being crazy and molesting the wall with colors.

10) "Exploding Colors"
The wall shows everyones creativity and personality, even if it looks messy and ugly. I decided to just draw lines. I just felt like doing that. It is my own way of being unique. In the wall I can see that everyone has a little bit of themselves in it. Talking walls.

11) "War"
I see a war that is happening because the circles make it look like there is a person that is lying there dead. And some of the colors make it look like the sun is rising.

12) "Bold Lines"
I see creativity of bold lines, that are colorful. Designs of imagination. Scribbles that draw your eye.

13) "Cosmo"
I see lots of colors.
I paint random lines, with no pattern.
I think that its a blog of color.

14) "The Abstract Rainbow"
I think it is like one big splash of the rainbow except of being in an arch shape. It is all twisted and goes every which way. I think that this a painting of a thousand words. Showing and leaving a part of everyone that is here.

15) "The Wall"
It's unique and I think its unique because no one could paint something exactly like this. The mural shows everyone what their ideas are so everyone put in what they want to see on the wall.

2006-12-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

To continuet the mural process Margy Burns Knight and Argy Nestor came in to work with the students again. Each grade level came together and had a brain storming session. Margy brought in the original drawings for her "Talking Walls" book. They are trully amazing. We will have them on display throughout the school. For the brain storming session students were asked "If you were to title the mural today what would it be?" Students were paired and shared their ideas and then one student reported to the entire group. Examples of titles are "Cosmo", "Everyone's Creation", "Pointless Confusion", "Flying Colors", "Blended Emotions" and "Fantastic Chaos". It was interesting to note the similiarities between the groups. To be continued. . .

2006-12-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

The mural project has been very interesting. It was really amazing to see the mural change after each grade level painted. The dynamics of each group are represented, from the color to the movement of shapes and space. After going home I kept thinking about the mural and how some individuals and groups made the painting take on new levels of interpretation. This process really pushed me, as an art teacher and artist, out of my comfort zone. What I really have enjoyed is how there is now a daily morning conversation about the mural. Kids show where they painted, what color they used and discuss how the mural changed from the beginning of the process. I can not wait to see the where this takes us and how the journey of making art constantly changes and challenges all of us.

2006-12-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

The mural after 6th grade finished.

2006-12-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

The 6th grade was ready to go and also did a great job.

2006-12-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is how the mural changed after 7th grade was done. Kayla O. added the blue line and it changed the whole feeling of the mural.

2006-12-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the 7th grade for a great job painting the mural. A special thanks to the 7th grade team for coming and lending a hand.

2006-12-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

First, I would like to thank the entire 8th grade class. You all showed a great amount of integrity and respect for this process. And that's what this is, a process. I know some people are a little confused as to what will happen, but that's part of the process as well. I ask that you all have patience and believe in the process. The mural will continue to evolve and each of us will be a part of the mural. Again thanks 8th grade!!!

2006-12-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

2006-12-04T05:24:00.000-08:00

The Mural process has begun!! Please let us know! What a great start!!

2006-11-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

Kids are discussing what they have seen downtown. Argy Nestor and Margy Knight talk with Mrs. Criss. Argy Nestor is the state Visual and Performing Arts Specialist. She came to see and be a part of the mural project.

2006-11-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Sorry about not posting pics but this site is giving me some issues. Here are the pics from Tuesday.

2006-10-31T09:22:00.000-08:00

Wow!! Today was great, the students listened with enthusiam. Margy Knight talked about the different walls around the world and what they meant to their communities. The kids also discussed observations of what was on their "main street". We wanted to know how observant they are of their own surroundings. Margy asked about the color of the fire hydrants, what is the statue in front of the police station, what the numbers on the fire station stood for. Many did not know or remember. It was great, because now kids will really look at their surroundings.

2006-10-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Next week, October 31st, Margy Knight will be coming in to talk with the students. This is when the entire student body and staff will have a introduction to the mural and its purpose. This will be very exciting and the kick off for the Winthrop Middle School Talking Wall.

2006-10-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

2006-10-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Who painted on the Mural Today?

2006-10-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

This is the mural project that our school is undertaking. This is the beginning of the project and this is how we began. . .