How can our tile mural represent our community?
"Well, if that tile was missing, there would be a hole in the mural. If I were not here, you would miss me too.” –Fuller School Third-Grader
In 2013, the Fuller School invited Rob Rossel into their classrooms to help construct a community mural. All 326 students participated fully by hand-designing their own tiles.
The mural-making process integrated many curricular disciplines with lessons on the relationship between the craft and science, math and social studies. Additionally, about 100 students and their families participated in the Fuller School’s Family Night, where the community came together to plan the mural and construct tiles.
The final product was installed and unveiled in May. The individually-designed and carefully-constructed tiles of each student came together to form the unified image of an elm tree (a city symbol), superimposed on the impressive outline of Mt. Monadnock.
This project was coordinated by Margaret Hartz, arts instructor at Fuller School. Funding for this project came from numerous sources and in-kind contributions, including an Artist in Residence Grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Additional support came in the form of intern teachers from Keene State, and the talents of Greg Thibodeau,
Rob Rossel’s assistant.
