Christine Whittaker Special Projects

Collaborative mural canvas (5'x7'):

The murals were originally requested by the community centers as mementos of the 1991 Arts Van Go program. Since there were three communities, we produced three 5’ x 7 ’ murals.

The mural project began at the end of the ten week program, after the children had completed many paintings, drawings and 3D projects. In developing the murals I had the children work together in groups. Since the murals making came in the end of the summer project, the children were really comfortable with drawing and painting. The murals were compositionally beautiful and full of color.

The “tree of knowledge” was what the children of Kingswood wanted to construct. They started with sketches and stencils on canvas as they filled it in it became this beautiful large mural of a rugged tree. The mural notes “Arts Van Go” 1991 and was left on sight with the Kingswood Community Center to display.

		Kingswood Community Center Projects : For full arts and craft syllabi representation go to Citri-Soutbridge and Latin American Community Center (LACC) as documentation is missing the same syllabi was taught in all locations. Description of the objects produced in Citri-Southbridge, Latin American and Kingswood community cethers in the summer of 1991: In 1991, the Arts Van Go program produced various objects: 1500 drawings, ink washes and paintings, 130 name plaques painted on wood, 450 placemats (hand painted and drawn on burlap), 240 tie dyed handkerchiefs (30 of those were silk-screened designed with the Art Van Go 1991 logo), 130 mobiles (made from approximately 1,000 wood scraps and then painted), 130 necklaces (composed of hand made beads which were also painted), 130 chimes (constructed and painted), 130 Maraca’s (constructed of soda cans, rice, felt and paint), 130 Sculptures (12” sq. base, using 600 wood scraps, also painted), 480 tie dyed tee shirts with silkscreen designs and one large “Southbridge against drugs” banner (constructed of several silkscreen words that the children stenciled). In 1991, we focused on the home environment. We thought it would be exciting to make colorful objects that would enhance the home. We started with name plates, maraca music instruments, chimes, necklaces, handkerchiefs, mobiles, 1 ft. sculpture relief's and place mats.

Pictured are the children of Kingswood Community center.

	Collaborative mural canvas (5'x7'): The murals were originally requested by the community centers as mementos of the 1991 Arts Van Go program. Since there were three communities, we produced three 5’ x 7 ’ murals. The mural project began at the end of the ten week program, after the children had completed many paintings, drawings and 3D projects. In developing the murals I had the children work together in groups. Since the murals making came in the end of the summer project, the children were really comfortable with drawing and painting. The murals were compositionally beautiful and full of color. The “tree of knowledge” was what the children of Kingswood wanted to construct. They started with sketches and stencils on canvas as they filled it in it became this beautiful large mural of a rugged tree. The mural notes “Arts Van Go” 1991 and was left on sight with the Kingswood Community Center to display.
			The "Tree of Knowledge" side view.


Painting the "Tree of Knowledge".			The "Tree of Knowledge " frontal.