Mural Project Highlights Aboriginal Curriculum At Hinchinbrooke

Feb 07, 2013

In an effort to bring Aboriginal education to students at Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham, grade 5/6 teacher Kathryn Sawdon enlisted the talents of professional mural artist Maureen Walton of Belleville.

Walton, who has been working as a fine artist for decades and as a professional mural artist for 13 years, is no stranger to area schools. She has worked at a number of different schools creating permanent murals, which she said “bring warmth, colour and a sense of student pride into their daily environments”. She has worked with students to create permanent murals at St. Thomas Catholic School in Kingston and at the Quinte Mohawk School located in the Tyendinaga Territory.

Kathryn Sawdon became aware of Walton's work thanks to Kevin Reed of the Limestone District School Board, who suggested that she contact Maureen Walton to see if she might be available to work with students at Hinchinbrooke. Once it was confirmed, students in Sawdon's class looked at Walton’s portfolio online and together with her came up with an idea for the mural.

The project, which took one week to complete, also included much discussion about current Aboriginal issues, as Sawdon explained earlier this week. “Aboriginal education is a major component of the grade 6 social studies curriculum and there is so much going on right now in the news about it that it seemed a perfect opportunity to offer the students the viewpoints both of the government and the various Aboriginal groups with the idea, so that they [the students] can come up with their own ideas and opinions regarding those issues.”

Students not only learned about the current issues of the day but also studied animal symbols as they relate to various Aboriginal groups. Each student was invited to choose an animal to be represented in the mural.

Working alongside Walton and using acrylic paints on two 4x8 foot sheets of plywood, the students helped her to create a colourful mural that depicts various animals including a coyote, owl, bear, rabbit, snake and turtle, all in a natural outdoor setting. Through the week of January 21, Walton worked with the students in small groups as they blocked in the shapes and painted in the individual animals. Walton explained that the project also gave the students an in-depth understanding of the various steps involved in the design and completion of a large-scale mural project. “The students learned about scaling; how to simplify shapes so that they can be read at a distance; how to apply contrasting colours; and other basic technical skills like how to hold a brush and how to apply the paint.”

Part of the beauty of a project like this is the pride and ownership that the students take in the work, which they helped to create and which will become a permanent part of their school environment.

While Walton and the students usually paint the mural directly on the walls of the school where the project takes place, the HPS mural was painted on plywood with the hopes that it will be moved to the new school in Sharbot Lake after Hinchinbrooke closes at the end of this year. “The students really hope to see it moved to the new school, and staff here said that they will do their best to see that that happens,” Kathryn Sawdon said.

She was extremely pleased with the finished product. “The mural totally exceeded all of my expectations. I feel very lucky to have been able to tap into the skills of an expert and to know that the students have come away with an understanding of art that I could not have given them.”

In turn, Maureen Walton credited Sawdon for the work she did with the students to prepare them for the project. “I was really impressed with the maturity and enthusiasm of the students in the class; not only were they extremely curious and eager to learn but they were also totally engaged throughout the entire process.” Walton was able to bring her talents and know how to the students at HPS thanks to a grant from the Ontario Arts Council.