Art Yard: Middle School Artists Continue to Transform Walls

I was browsing through some old photos today and came across one from 2007, the year we started painting murals on the Art Yard, a former visually neglected court yard at Middleton Middle School.

I will never forget how James, a very enthusiastic 8th grade student would arrive eager to paint murals dressed in his one piece khaki coveralls. He was 100% committed to the project. James contributed to the large black painted circle, the beginning of our Art Yard vision.

Now several years later, the Art Yard continues to be transformed into an ever changing work of art. Each year new students add their own mark to the walls. The following photos documents the work done this past Sept/Oct of 2013.

 The students working on the Burger shop added western-style elements to the facade.

The Candy Land saw an enormous face lift after students added purple shading to the letters, two cats, and some condiment containers.

Students working on Retro Reels added a theatre entrance and a popcorn machine.

The Flower Shop was adorned with pots of flowers, birds, and a multitude of flower decorations in the window and on the door.

MMS art students have been working on the Art Yard mural for almost seven years now. It will be exciting to see what transformation will occur in the years to come.

If you are ever in the area, stop by and see the Art Yard in person. It is located on the West side of Annex A.

Artist Mary Ellen Croteau: Making Art with Plastic Bottle Caps

I get excited when I discover artists who create amazing art using unconventional materials.

Chicago, Illinois artist Mary Ellen Croteau is an artist with a cause. She uses plastic materials such as plastic bottle caps and plastic bags to create her work, demonstrating the vast amount of plastic waste that is polluting our environment.

Croteau recently constructed a self-portrait using a multitude of bottle caps to create a Chuck Close inspired work. She implements smaller bottle caps set inside larger ones to create the Chuck Close affect. Her piece is titled Close. All I can say is WOW!

I am always thinking of new projects for my middle school students. Croteau has inspired an idea I have for a school-wide project for Middleton Middle School. As many of my projects this will be vast and very involved. I will be asking the Middleton community to help me in collecting the massive amount of bottle caps needed for my vision. I can hardly wait to get started.

So the next time you are about to throw away the cap to a container, please think about our upcoming project. You will be contributing to a worthy cause, helping the environment, and being a part of art in the making. I appreciate your support!

She currently works with non-recycled plastic waste, in an effort to demonstrate the huge amounts of  trash we are consuming and sending into the environment.

Mary Ellen Croteau is an artist whose work directly addresses the absurdities of social norms, and lays bare the underlying bias and sexist assumptions on which our culture is constructed. She currently works with non-recycled plastic waste, in an effort to demonstrate the huge amounts of  trash we are consuming and sending into the environment.She currently works with non-recycled plastic waste, in an effort to demonstrate the huge amounts of  trash we are consuming and sending into the environment.