By Julie Rossman
Correspondent
The Yorkville School cafeteria has started to look like more than a lunchroom. Looking at the east wall, it has the feel of an art gallery.
That’s because third-graders have taken part in an “Artist-in-Residence” program for the last three years, thanks to the volunteer efforts of Yorkville parent, Tanja Martinez, who coordinates the program.
The result is a growing public art display that the artists and the entire community can be proud of.
Martinez got the idea from a similar program offered at Gifford School in Franksville, which her son attended school before coming to Yorkville.
The basic premise of the program, according to Martinez, is to expose kids to a wider variety of artistic mediums than what any one school can teach within its curriculum.
“One year we might have a painter, another a sculptor … By bringing in artists from the community, kids learn different techniques and have the opportunity to experiment with different materials,” Martinez said.
Martinez is grateful to the Yorkville PTO for their continued financial support of the program. “Since our Yorkville PTO focuses on enrichment, it was a great fit,” Martinez said.
The first project was created in 2011 with guest artist Jane, from Fired Up! Racine. She guided students through glazing six-inch tiles. The tiles were then fired and brought together in one frame that was built by Yorkville parent, Sam Acker.
In 2012, Martinez, a mixed-media artist, took on the artist role, leading the third-grade class in making their own six-inch square collage. They learned hand-sewing to attach polymer pieces as well as fabric beads that they made themselves.
Martinez sewed each of the collages to one background fabric, which was stretched over a backer-board and then framed – again with the help of Acker.
Deborah Madigan, Racine, was this year’s Artist-in-Residence. Her art features a mixture of drawing, acrylic painting and watercolor. She also uses found objects and mixed media to create art. “Whatever fits into the piece, I will add it,” Madigan said.
Martinez knows Madigan from the Racine Art Guild, where both are members. Madigan’s initial response when approached by Martinez was “I’m so busy.”
However, they started brainstorming about project ideas and Madigan came up with the idea of self-portraits, to which Martinez said, “That’ll work!”
Madigan was excited about the project. “Once I get an idea, I’m in,” she said.
Children used a six-inch canvas in a variety of colors, as a backdrop for their self-portraits, from the chest up. Then they got busy going through magazines, cutting out eyes, noses, lips, hair for their faces. For the chest area, Madigan says she told them to place something there about the heart of who they are. “A reflection of themselves,” she said.
Madigan made her own self-portrait and described what she placed in the chest area. “For me, it’s the water and sky, which are a constant source of inspiration for me,” she said.
Madigan thoroughly enjoyed coming to Yorkville on three different occasions to help kids through the project. “It was a pleasure in every way to work with such open and polite kids that wanted to work with art,” she said.
As with past projects, the individual pieces of art were combined and framed together to hang on the wall. This year’s frame was made by Marty Winter and stained by Yorkville teacher, Becky Borchardt.
May 31 was a very special “unveiling” of the artwork. The third-graders all gathered in the cafeteria to find a large frame on the wall, covered in brown paper. Martinez spoke to the students before tearing off the paper to reveal the project.
“How many of you have ever been asked what you would like to be when you grow up?” she asked.
Martinez went on, “Maybe you’d choose to be a firefighter or astronaut or President of the United States. The next time you are asked, you can share your answer, but now you can add, ‘but I’m already an artist’,” she said.
The children listened intently as she explained that now they have created something that is part of a public art installation. “It’s a big deal – many adult artists can’t say that,” she said.
Before climbing the stepladder to pull off the brown paper, she said, “Visitors to the school will enjoy your work for many years to come. I hope that you are as proud of yourselves as I am of you.”
With that, the paper came off, revealing the finished product to the third graders and their teachers for the first time. There was lots of applause, smiles and pointing fingers, especially once they found their own piece of artwork.
“It’s beautiful,” said school Principal Eileen Graf of the new art project. “Who’d have thought the third-graders had that much talent! I can’t wait to see what they do next year,” she added.
Graf is grateful to Martinez for coordinating the project year after year. “Having Tanja here is like having our own artist in residence,” she said.
Martinez is grateful to all who have helped to make the project happen over the past three years. “It’s a big project that takes many hands to complete.
“But the end result is an ever-enlarging installment of artwork that the kids can be proud of and that the community can appreciate while visiting our school,” Martinez said.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to coordinate this project and showcase their creativity,” she added.
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