Fourth graders Ella Holden and Kaia Foerg-Hunter are pictured putting some color on a new school mural to brighten a drab entry hallway.
Shown from left are seventh graders Abby Young, Ke’Ila Fraizer, Ahmara Scales, Sami Wooten and Ruby Lemely guided by artist Lizzi Aronhalt.
AKRON — Visual art students at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts got the red carpet treatment during the recent unveiling of a new mural created with help from a professional artist. According to Miller South art teacher Malia Tschantz, the visual students partnered with Firestone Community Learning Center alumni Lizzi Aronhalt to paint an 88-foot mural for the Door 12 school entrance. Tschantz said about 130 art students researched and then drew landmarks from their neighborhoods, which include Akron, Medina, Canton and Kent, and Aronhalt collaged them into five canvas panels to make a paint-by-number canvas for students to paint. The students worked on the mural for about three weeks, guided by Tschantz and visual art teacher Alison Rich. Aronhalt, a graduate of The University of Akron who taught art at St. Sebastian School in West Akron and has a studio at Summit ArtSpace, also spent a day talking to students about her work and growing up in Akron. Tschantz said students’ families enter the building through Door 12 for events such as school plays, musicals, dances and concerts. The hallway, which was a pale green tile on the bottom with a chipped white brick on top, made for a “gloomy” entrance. “For many events it’s the first impression of our guests of our school so it was important to us to exhibit what our school is about,” said Tschantz. “It [the mural] illustrates our community and the six counties that our students make up. It has many landmarks of all arts areas.” The mural was unveiled May 31, with four teachers opening doors of the vehicles students arrived in to give them the “Hollywood red carpet experience,” Tschantz said. In addition, students entered the building on a “hot pink sparkly carpet” (the school colors are hot pink and black). Inside five teachers passed out cookies to visitors and photographed students in front of the mural as guests looked over the new display. “This was a really fun project and a great opportunity for students to work with an artist in learning how to create a mural and the behind the scenes work of completing it,” said Tschantz. “They looked at different art fields during the research stage.” Tschantz stated school janitorial staff hung the murals, and they can be moved to another area or building if the school is relocated. Currently, Akron Public School officials are considering the feasibility of moving Miller South to the Kenmore-Garfield High School building for the 2023-24 school year after those students move into their new school building this fall and renovations, currently under review, are approved and made at the old high school building.
Shown above from left working on a new school mural are Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts eighth graders Hannah Rollyson and Max Jackson, artist Lizzi Aronhalt, and students Alex Holland-Coffield, Amira Stallworth, Cassie Ford, Clare Cassidy and Oliver Schwan. Photos courtesy of Malia Tschantz
Please support Leader Publications as we continue to provide the community with local news.
Click the link below for more information on our 2020 Voluntary Subscription Drive!
Summit County Public Health has issued these death notices for the week of April 10-16, 2022 (continued from last week): Marlene Mae Niebuhr, Akron, 87, died April 7, 2022 George Ronald Palmer, Cuyahoga Falls, 87, died April 8, 2022 Allen K. Perry, New Franklin, 82, died April 8, 2022 Jordan...
Leader Publications 3075 Smith Road, Suite 204, Akron, Ohio 44333 330-665-9595
Our Hometown DMCA Notices Newspaper web site content management software and services
Please support Leader Publications as we continue to provide the community with local news.
Click the link below for more information on our 2020 Voluntary Subscription Drive!