Schools in Antigo will soon be part of an art makeover–courtesy of the entire community.
A mosaic mural will be created at each of the five public schools in the city during 2022-2023 school year. Students at Peace Lutheran and All Saints Catholic School will also be invited to participate in the mural at the public schools.
“The project is a mosaic mural that is made from clay pieces that each student, employee, and community member involved makes with direction from Connie Greany (from Legacy Murals),” said Justin Markgraf, Antigo High School art teacher. “Each student will then glaze (paint with glaze) them before firing at 1950 degrees.”
Each mosaic will be about 10 feet x 20 feet, with some smaller and some larger.
“We will be engaging the entire student body of each school and every employee,” Markgraf said. “And the public is invited too.”
Greany will hold an informational meeting at 6 PM Monday at Antigo High School IMC. She will discuss her experience and what she is envisioning for Antigo.
“Community involvement for this project is very important, not only in help with funding, but in-kind donations,” Said Danna Gabriel of Antigo Visual Arts (AVA), another key group in the project. “AVA Public Arts Committee has been happy to jump on board with the high school art department and place the retainer fee to Connie for the project. We also plan to be involved during the implementation all the way to completion of the project.”
Monday’s meeting is aimed at gathering community involvement.
“We are asking all nonprofit organizations, government agencies, community members at large, and families of any and all students of our community,” Markgraf said. “We are looking for both volunteers and monetary donations.”
“The school district is applying for a $6,000 grant through the Wisconsin Arts Board to pay for some of the costs. It is a Creative Communities program grant with an arts education component,” Gabriel said.
“This grant encourages arts education, cultural understanding, and community arts development in Wisconsin.” she said, “An eligible Creative Communities grant project is a collaborative endeavor that is carefully planned and designed to achieve a particular aim within an identified community.”
The idea for the local project was sparked after Markgraf met Greany at the Wisconsin Art Education Association conference in Wisconsin Rapids in October.
“I happened to eat my hors d’oeuvres at her table where she was talking with a few friends.” said Markgraf. “My colleague, Olivia Lemke, and I struck up a conversation with her, and from the moment she told me about the mosaic murals, I was hooked. It all has to do with community building.”
According to Legacy Mural promotional material, Greany’s workshops teach art techniques, from clay building to glazing; however, experiences can be used to teach life and work skills, such as creativity, problem solving, communication and collaboration, as well as reinforce the value of education and community involvement.
“Connie has done this process with over 40 other organizations around Wisconsin and the United States, ” said Markgraf, “She has the process down to a science and has an incredible success rate with all students she engages as she was an art teacher herself.”
Gabriel agreed. “She (Greany) has a wealth of experience with doing these types of mural projects with the goals of assisting youth and adults in discovering and appreciating their creative abilities; engage them in mutual sharing, working together, and creative dialogue; promote values, individual growth or leadership that can impact the community,” she said.
Successful projects have been completed at dozens of schools, including Neenah High School, University School of Milwaukee, and Nicholas Elementary School in Freedom.
For now, Markgraf and Gabriel are joined in the planning phase by Anita Mattek, high school associate principal, and fellow AVA members Marie Benes and Joe Hermolin.
The overall design is not determined yet. This will happen in meetings following Monday’s gathering.
“I have a lot of faith that this project will build togetherness for years to come, through our mosaic mural, ‘Belongingness,” said Markgraf.