"Peace Works" Mural Project

Mayor William Pikolycky is pleased to announce the opening of a student-generated art show at Woodbine Elementary School on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. All are invited to a 10 a.m. assembly to celebrate the permanent installation of the collaborative efforts of Riverfront Renaissance for the Arts (RRCA) of Millville and Woodbine Elementary School in the RRCA'S "Peace Works" Mural Project in the school's all purpose room, where the mural "Making Peace" will be installed.

This project was done through a partnership with the Riverfront Renaissance for the Arts (RRCA) of Millville, NJ, which is sending “satellite” artists to schools such as Woodbine which do not have an arts program. Other schools in the program include Myron Powell in Cedarville and Port Norris School. The current project is bringing permanent installations of Peace Art and Murals to these schools.

The Grant is funded through Lawrence Township's 21st Century Learning Communities.

RRCA art teacher, Rita Lynn Lyman is currently working on installing a permanent mural called "Making Peace" in Woodbine Elementary School. The Mural is part of an initiative called "Peace Works". This program is funded through a grant coming from "21st Century" and is normally a 10 week rolling program with an hour a week at the school. The mural will be made up of a collage of student images and words that evoke feelings of Peace. The students have been working on the project since the fall and have used mixed materials such as paint, charcoal, and poetry to express their feelings of Peace. Each session began with a "Peace Circle" where each student has a chance to express his views. Gentle stretching, meditative visualizations, and focusing on breathing for relaxation are used to enhance the peaceful atmosphere.

The Students of Woodbine Elementary School that participated in this project are:

fifth graders: Ruth Delvillar, Olga Perez, Denise Serrano, Katelyn White

sixth graders: Ajea Hughes, Tamara Laraquenta, Lenoni Menear, Alexandra Ramos

seventh graders: Joshua Bloodworth, Luis Cartagena, Alee Dickerson, Mariel Gold, Nye-Jai Price, Dante Williams Amanda Rivera Sibirah Davis

Yetzyhra Perez served as an avid program aid and assistant to the project; eighth grader Diamond Price was also assistant to the project

“I was delighted to learn our students were involved in this partnership, as art education has been found to be an integral part of a well-rounded school curriculum,” commented Mayor Pikolycky, “I am looking forward to joining Ms. Lyman and her students at the opening reception and viewing the finished products of this greatly appreciated after-school enrichment activity.”

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Press Release