ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE:  SEAWELL ELEMENTARY

In May of 2006 the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission invited area artists to propose projects for the fall 2006 Artists@Work project.  Artists@Work is a program where CHPAC and a professional artist work together to bring a project of the artist's design to a local Chapel Hill - Carrboro School District elementary school. The selected artist works with the art teacher and volunteer docents to conduct this project in the classroom over a two- or three-week period.  This artist residency aims to enrich students, families, and the community through exposure to art and artists, enhance children’s awareness of the arts as a profession, and build the students’ problem-solving skills and confidence in their artistic abilities.

Sculptor Lynn Wartski was the fall 2006 Artists@Work Artist-in-Residence at Seawell Elementary School.  During the month of October Wartski worked with Seawell Art Instructor Annie Cramer and 100 Seawell 3rd and 4th graders on a project called Pop Art Recycled, which combines metal repousse sculpture and environmental studies.  The “pop” in this title refers to empty soda cans that served as the source of sheet metal for the project.  Students employed the metal working techniques of repousse and chasing to form individual relief sculpture panels.  The student panels illustrate ideas in environmental stewardship developed by each of the participating classes.

The final artwork is a patchwork quilt of the individual metal panels sculpted by the students.  An opening reception was held in February at the Kidzu Children's Museum and the artwork was featured there through April.  The piece was permanently installed in the Seawell cafeteria in May of 2007 as a part of the school's Folkmoot Celebration.