The "Many Cultures" Mosaic is a big success!

The "Many Cultures of the Roberts School" Mosaic. L-R: Susan Altman, Kathleen Shanley, Cheryl Rodriguez.

Yes, it is truly huge: 12 feet wide and over 7 feet high! The Medford Schools facilities staff installed it on Monday, and I then added the tiles and grout around all the edges in time for the public unveiling at Art Night on Thursday, May 26th.  Everything went off without a hitch! See more photos here.

What a privilege it has been to be part of this community for a few weeks. I especially want to thank all these amazing people:

1. Kathleen Shanley, the Roberts School Art Teacher, who has astonishingly great organizational skills and patience. I never could have gotten through this experience without her. Also I'm amazed and grateful that she was willing to turn over her classroom and all her students to this project for two full weeks, at the most crazy time of the year.
2. Cheryl Rodriguez, parent of a Roberts School student and the coordinating wizard behind the mosaic curtain. In addition to coming up with the idea of an "artist in residence" to begin with and helping to write a grant proposal that got funded, she found volunteers to help out with almost every class (and there were 52 of them, folks!), brought me donations of supplies and coffee (at times the most important element), cheerfully reminded me of everything I forgot, and was always tremendously fun to work with,
3. Kirk Johnson, principal of the Roberts School, who applied to the Massachusetts Cultural Council's STARS Grant to fund the project, donated a very prominent wall for the mosaic, and then left us alone to get it done. (That last bit must have involved some amazing self-control! I don't think I could have managed it.)
4. Diane Daley of the Massachusetts Cultural Council's STARS Grant, who supported the project throughout, coming both to a class while we were making the mosaic and coming back again on Art Night. Mass Cultural Council dows great, important work that no other entity in our state does, so please support them as much as they support us! Also many thanks to the Medford Arts Council and the Medford School Committee for their wonderful support!
5. Mea Mustone and her crew of young helpers. She knows what she did!
6. The many parents who volunteered their time to help, especially Jessica Sciullo.
7. The custodial staff of the Roberts School and the Medford School System. A nicer, more helpful crew cannot be found anywhere.
8. Everyone else I encountered at the Roberts School. What a truly great group.
9. And leaving perhaps the best for last--the almost 600 students, ages 5 through 11ish, who made this very cool mural come to life. You're the best!

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