Jun 03, 2014 New Mural at Wirtz Elementary School
I’m super proud of my friend Erik Caruso, who teaches fifth grade at Wirtz Elementary in Paramount. In response to the lack of funding for the arts in public education, he has approached and engaged some of his favorite contemporary artists to start a very cool tradition at his school. For five years, students have been challenged to use the artists’ work as a starting point to make their own pieces. And then, at the end of the school year, Erik actually sends the kids’ works to each artist, and he or she gives a video message to the fifth grade class, recognizes a few favorites, and gives away some art as encouragement.
And for the last two years, Erik has also invited artists to paint murals on campus. That part of the annual event wasn’t quite as easy to launch since submissions to the student art show and contest were made off-campus and didn’t require any class time. But he drummed up donations and sponsorships–as well as support from the school and district–to make it happen. This weekend, visiting artists included Dustin Klein and Rich Jacobs from Oakland, Tim Kerr from Austin, and Koji and Kota Toyoda, Yosuke Hanai, and Hi Dutch from Japan. (Did I mention that Erik used to live in Japan?)
Of course there will be a really cool vibe at a spot where individuals gather to donate their time, energy, and creativity to kids. I brought my family along on the second day of mural painting, and my daughter wound up doodling with Rich Jacobs for a long time, as I gabbed about not only art but music with Tim Kerr (The Big Boys, Poison 13, Bad Mutha Goose, Monkey Wrench, Jack O’ Fire, Lord High Fixers…). I’ve been a big fan of both of their respective bodies of work for a long time and was stoked to meet them as well as the other artists in such a community-based context.
Erik told my wife and me how the students who benefit most are sometimes classified as at-risk learners. Giving them something to grasp onto, excel in, or simply have fun doing can go a long way for them, often instilling pride and confidence in kids who don’t have much else going for them in the classroom. It might even give them something to cultivate into a career. There were more than a few cases in which kids who were being left behind academically and socially were given a real boost–and Erik says that those examples provide all the motivation necessary to keep growing the program.
It took two long days of painting to finish the mural over the weekend, and it was obvious how much the project means to the teachers, PTA members, and parents who attended school over the weekend to facilitate the work as well as be gracious hosts. Two teachers told me in separate instances how the wall that was painted was once the same drab, institutional color as the classrooms, and what a difference the lively mural would make to the kids.
On Monday, the students finally got to see the installed art and mural, and meet the artists. One facet of the event involved kids making their own musical instruments and having a jam session with Tim. The ex-Big Boy also painted renditions of the homemade music makers for the students to keep, and would later play a set of raging old-time tunes with his pal David Bragger in the cafeteria before the video presentations were shared.
I loved how the fifth-grade teachers seemed to be having as much fun as the 120-or-so kids who participated in the program. It was a really cool moment when the students started clapping along to the fiddle and banjo music and the teachers began dancing with the trashcans that they were wheeling from aisle to aisle. Everyone was genuinely thrilled to participate, including the artists.
Of course, the video messages were amazing. In addition to clips from the artists in attendance, there were contributions from Shepard Fairy, Albert Reyes, Mel Kadel, and Keiji Ito. Thomas Campbell said something really cool about how certain pieces looked as if the artists had a lot of fun making them, and how he liked that. All of the artists were as encouraging as they were generous, applauding the students for trying hard, having fun, and being creative. It was a truly inspiring place to be.
Congratulations to all the students who participated and my friend Erik, but also all the other teachers out there who develop unique ways to encourage their students’ creativity, confidence, and interest in school and life. It was a very cool moment for me to witness and experience–not to mention make some new friends and conspirators and get excited about our next Save Music in Chinatown benefit… How else can we members of the DIY generation (punks, skaters, or otherwise) make schools and the world better?
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