On Friday April 7th, specks of light reflected off the mosaic mural and onto the faces of students and teachers at the “Let Your Light Shine” mural unveiling ceremony at Gilmor Elementary school, a long term Arts Every Day partner school in the heart of the Sandtown Winchester neighborhood in West Baltimore.
Gilmor’s art teacher and arts integration coach, Victoria Hoffman, has utilized AED funding to hire mural artist, Sue Stockman, for 3 residency projects over the course of the 2016-17 school year. Sue and the students have continuously have engaged in designing, making and installing mosaic murals throughout their school. This dynamic duo was determined to set the bar even higher this spring by completing a 25 foot mix media mural on their auditorium wall in a week with 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students. The “Let Your Light Shine” mural includes mosaic elements that were produced using recycled glass and pottery integrated into the larger painted scene of a sun rise.
In December, Victoria applied to the AED Impact Fund which provides 4-5 partner schools with up to $5,000 to implement an outcome based art project that connects to the surrounding community. Due to limited funds and a competitive review process, “Let Your Light Shine” mural was not initially awarded funds. But, these incredulous leaders were determined to bring beauty and art to students at Gilmor. Victoria and Sue came together and sought additional funding with the Dock Street Foundation to support the mural project. Now thanks to the Dock Street Foundation‘s generous donation to Arts Every Day and Gilmor Elementary, the mural will not only bring lasting joy to the students but also to numerous community organizations that use auditorium for events and meetings.
Sue Stockman with Gilmor Student Artist at Mural Unveiling
Below: Detail of “Let Your Light Shine” Mural
