News

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Franklin School-created mural to be unveiled at McDonald’s on Milpas

The newly remodeled McDonald's on Milpas Street will host a ribbon cutting and mural dedication event on Friday, April 9 at 10:00 a.m. The 13-foot wide mural was created over a five-month period by Franklin Elementary School fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students under the guidance of art teacher Shannon McCain Jaffe and guest mosaicist Betsy Gallery. A helper on this project was Lakey Peterson, champion surfer and daughter of store owner David Peterson. The project was based on a similar 41-foot mural painted by students last summer on a wall near the school’s library.

Principal Casie Killgore stated, “Having our mosaic displayed for years to come at McDonald's is an honor for our school and our Art Club. Our goal is to provide students with enrichment activities to guide them as life-long learners. Art has become a focus since an anonymous donor provided financial backing to support the arts. Our 18 Art Club members will remember this for years to come as their mosaic is displayed and their hand prints line the outside of the building.” She continued, “David Peterson and his family have been so welcoming to our neighborhood school and our partnership has been wonderful. Having Lakey Peterson, a world class surfer, come and work in our art room to design herself on a surfboard had everyone of our students asking to start a surf club.”

Art teacher Shannon McCain Jaffe received a master's degree in art and education at UC Santa Barbara. She has been the Franklin Elementary School art teacher for the past three years. Betsy Gallery, a retired art therapist, is a guest artist at Franklin. Ms. Gallery studied mosaic making in Ravenna and Venice, Italy.

The art program at Franklin Elementary School is fully funded by an anonymous donor who also pays the fees of guest artists.

NS Ceramic donated the 1-inch square tiles for the mosaic.