Wonders of the World

Teaching Pre K-8, Mar 2000 by Sanzeni, Becky

An after-school art club paints murals that really go places

When Dr. John Healy, an art teacher at Woodland Middle School in East Meadow, NY, was serving in the army, he had an experience that would shape his role as a teacher. "We were standing in a large field," John recalled, "We were all at attention and there was a reviewing stand in front of us. I remember a cannon going off and then a band struck up and a couple of fellows went up to the reviewing stand, shook hands with the general and came back down. It was very clear to me that those men must have done something really good. And I thought to myself, 'What if this could be done for children? What if a special event could be orchestrated where they feel just like those gentlemen up there?... Fantastic collaborations. John has done just that: he has given kids the opportunity to do something really good, and then be praised and recognized for their achievement. Woodland's Art Club, which John directs, meets after school on Mondays and Fridays. Kids who come to Art Club can work on their own individual projects, or they can collaborate on murals which are donated to local and national businesses and organizations like LaGuardia Airport, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, the New York City Ballet and Federal Express beautiful murals which bring the kids. muchdeserved recognition and honor.

Very important people. Over the 12 years that John has taught at Woodland, dozens of his students have collaborated on more than 50 murals. But, a mural starts with one person - one contact at a company or organization, or even another teacher at Woodland. "The kids completed a mural for Penn Station, showing what the finished redevelopment project will look like," John explained. "That mural got started because one student's father was a train driver. He went to his superior and set up the mural project for us. Another child's father, a driver for Federal Express, arranged for us to prepare a mural for FedEx's 25th anniversary."

Art that informs. Once a theme is agreed upon, the work (and fun!) begins. John makes sure that the kids start each project by researching the mural's topic, so the images will be as authentic as possible. A mural for the aquarium at Coney Island began with the idea of "Preserving the Marine Habitats Around the World." The students researched where different animals were from in order to position them correctly on the mural, which featured a world map.

Any child at Woodland is welcome to come to Art Club after school and participate in a mural project. Sure, the Idds' artistic abilities vary, but a mural is a large and varied piece of artwork, so there's work for every interested student. And everybody who helps to create the mural receives spectacular thanks for a job well done.

What a day! "I encourage the sponsor to be as generous as possible to the children," said John, "Some organizations say, 'Sure, we'll take a student mural,' and the kids work very hard, and the sponsor will just say thanks. I want my kids to be invited in and given a very special day."

And what days they've had - trying on costumes at the New York City Ballet; exploring a FedEx jet; having a barbecue in the outfield at Shea Stadium; getting free front-row seats at the circus and getting to go into the center ring - these are just a few of the ways the students have been thanked for the marvelous work they do on the murals.

"The mural projects give the kids a good shot of self-esteem," John said, "It's not like an art contest, where a kid may or may not be recognized for his or her work. It's guaranteed that if students paint on a mural, they're going to be invited someplace special; maybe they'll even be put on a stage. They're going to get a great deal of recognition and, if the sponsor is a corporation, they're going to go home with bags of free gifts! I doubt the children ever forget these experiences. I still get kids who come back and say, 'Remember Ringling Brothers, when we went out to the center ring?' These are very memorable times for them."

Making connections. In addition to recognition, fun and gifts, the students get something else that's just as valuable: a connection to the "real world." In the case of the circus mural, the children's research for painting three rings' worth of festive activity led them to photo portfolios of the circus' current performers. The kids included the performers in the mural. While waiting backstage at the circus on the day the mural was to be presented, the students met performers coming and going backstage, who then gathered around the mural to identify themselves and their friends.

"It became a game with them," said John, "They all wanted to know Which one of you painted meT The mural became a very personal connection between the students and the circus."

John also connects his kids to the real world by sharing his own art with them. 'When I was in school, it was rare for an art teacher to show the students something he or she was working on," John said. "But when I have something in progress, I always bring it in to the kids. That's how I get them interested. They can see I'm excited about art. I'm not in a gallery, trying to sell it; I'm making what I like - just like they are." John's latest project is a carousel horse, carved from laminated wood. Even in its half-finished state, the fanciful horse is a wonder to behold.