Published: April 29, 2008 08:57 pm            

Riverton Parke boasts new mosaic

MECCA — A new glass mosaic sign on the wall outside the Riverton Parke Jr.-Sr. high school art room is the idea of art teacher Janice Cole after she attended a mosaic workshop at Plainfield High School in the spring of 2006.

With the permission of Principal Dennis Moody, work began on the sign in the fall of 2006 and continued throughout the school year as students voluntarily contributed their time and talent to the piece. Mrs. Cole finished up the border areas this past summer.

Making mosaics of glass and other sturdy materials is a centuries-old art form. For instance, there are mosaic floors in the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy. While working on this project, students learned about using contrasting colors to make images visible, controlling the size, shape and direction of the tesserrae (a small piece of glass or tile), and working safely with glass.

Contributors to the design included Cody Mason, LaGina Stevens, Mary Higgins, Wes Thomas, Brittney Yeargin, Oakley Crabtree and Diana Smith. RP graduates Jennifer Snellgrose and Amy Shumaker also helped with the project. Mrs. Cole provided the glass, wood and grout. Thanks go to industrial technology teacher Dudley Davis who framed the work for display, and the maintenance team, Tim Akers and Lee Wood, who mounted it on the wall.

        

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