For many Mount Madonna Continuation High School students,
”
life is a constant struggle.
”
But arts
– and grants to them – help ease the pain.
For many Mount Madonna Continuation High School students, “life is a constant struggle.” But arts – and grants to them – help ease the pain.
The theme of art as an ameliorant drives the students’ latest endeavor: a mural project they plan to unveil in June as the Class of 2009 Senior Gift. Thirteen plywood panels on the side of the school’s media center make up the massive project, an abstract collection of underwater creatures and bold swirls of color. The effort, led by Mount Madonna Art Instructor Rick Charvet and several seniors, will be unveiled at a June 3 ceremony.
The artists recently received a $500 donation from the Theater Angels Art League recently that will help pay for supplies.
Many of the students participating in the project were motivated by an urge to give back to the school that has given them so much, they said.
“I believe through art, I can make a dent in the violence and stupidity in our community,” said Luis Rivas, a Mount Madonna senior who attended the Art Institute of Chicago for a seminar this summer and plans to apply as a student once he graduates. “I want to enlighten the minds of the students who attend (Mount Madonna) through color and art. I came into this school hopeless and angry, but soon I realized I had hidden talent that I didn’t really express. Now, because of the environment (Mount Madonna) gave me to express my art, I feel it is time to return the favor.”
Charvet said community donations fuel the project that so many students have thrown themselves into.
“Community-oriented projects such as this mural will teach these students life lessons,” Charvet said. “Since December, I have watched these students work diligently on this project. I have seen their eyes glisten and heard gears of hope turn inside their creative minds. For the first time in their lives, they indeed see a bright future for themselves. ”
