Chesapeake Academy Art Murals, 2010-11
Each year, middle school students paint a mural that reflects the nature of our school-wide character theme, with an emphasis on a particular word that reflects a facet of Chesapeake Academy's educational mission. This year's murals are slightly different because in addition to the inclusion of a “key” word and character theme, each class is cross-culturally linked to a country that students have studied in Music through dance. This year's character theme is Integrity. Please take a look at how we have communicated the theme of Integrity with an international flare.
5th Grade
Key Word: Integrity Theme: Physical
Country of Influence: Austria
Fifth grade students communicate the theme of Integrity by concentrating on actions that reflect Integrity. Students show the influence of Austria by borrowing an image from Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. Klimt was instrumental in the Art Nouveau movement, which was a decorative method of painting that used highly stylized forms and patterns. Its influence ranged from architecture to furniture and many things in-between, bringing art into the every-day lives of people. Klimt also began his professional career as a painter of murals; therefore, it seemed fitting for students to begin with him. The image used is based on Klimt's painting, “The Tree of Life”. Fifth Grade artists created their own tree, using gold paint and stylized lines to reflect the art nouveau style. They each designed a puzzle piece that is attached to the branch of the tree. Each puzzle piece image reflects something that they can do as an action of integrity such as picking up trash, helping someone in need or reflecting good sportsmanship, to name a few. They chose to illustrate their ‘actions’ on individual puzzle pieces to illustrate that there are many ways of showing integrity. When everyone does their part, the puzzle pieces come together as one.
6th Grade
Key Word: Integrity Theme: Academic
Country of Origin: Argentina
Sixth Grade students communicate the idea of academic integrity with the influence of Argentina by focusing on one of the most popular Agentine painters, Benito Quinquela Martin. Martin was famous for his port scene paintings that depicted the every day life of La Boca, the city in which Martin grew up and began his art career. Students borrowed an image from one of Martin's paintings that depicts various boats entering the port of La Boca. Each boat represents an area of study ranging from literature, to technology to the arts. The idea of integrity in academics is summed up in the flag of one of the boats that says “set goals for life”. Learning is not about memorizing facts, but understanding them so that students can achieve success at school and in the future. The buildings in the background are representative of El Caminito, which is one of the most famous streets in La Boca. El Caminito was once a run-down neighborhood and Martin was responsible for bringing it back to life as an arts community that functions as an open-air museum. Martin did this as a way of giving back to a community that had given so much to him.
7th Grade
Key Word: Integrity Theme: Social
Country of Influence: Australia
Seventh grade students communicate the idea of social integrity by basing their designs on the art work of the aboriginal people of Australia. For the purposes of the mural, students focused on ‘inclusiveness’ as being an important part of the idea of social integrity. There are many different animals depicted in the mural. Each animal is drawn with simple line and shape which is reflective of the stylized and somewhat primitive manner of the drawing of the aboriginal people. Bright color and patterns, many of which are symbolic in meaning, surround each animal, emphasizing that each animal is unique and different. The lower portion of the mural shows a dove, symbolizing peace, surrounding the different animals and bringing them together as a unified group in spite of their differences. Part of having social integrity means including everyone, rather than leaving someone out of a group because he or she may be different. A person with social integrity has the awareness of the importance of each person’s individual gifts, and because of that, is able to create unity rather than division.
8th Grade
Key Word: Integrity Theme: Moral
Country of Influence: Philippines
Eighth grade students communicate the idea of moral integrity by basing their image on the pottery of the Philippines. Pottery has been an important part of the Philippine culture since 6000 BC when the earliest pieces were created. Ancient and modern pottery, whether decorative or domestic, is only effective if it is strong, waterproof and resistant to heat. A vessel that is cracked will not do the job for which it was created. Likewise, the person who has moral integrity, shows it in action and in words. If a person’s words contradict his or her actions, then his or her integrity is compromised. Therefore, a person’s actions are representative of what is on the inside of a person. A piece of pottery with integrity is strong on the inside, and free of cracks on the outside. A vessel with cracks on the outside reflects and interior weakness and will not be able to do the job for which it was intended. In this mural, each piece of pottery represents a person. The pieces without cracks represent people who have integrity on the inside and reflect it on the outside, in word and action. The mural is bordered in bamboo leaves to further reflect the crafts of the Philippine people.
