New Mural Finds Home In West Jefferson
Landscape Photo
Winston Salem artist, Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet, worked with students at the Middle School on the concept and design for the mural last fall. The students, under the direction of Spanish teacher Margo Mullinax, have created a design that reflects the beautiful landscape, Christmas trees, music, an outdoor picnic, the river, and many faces and hands that live and work here.
The mural was painted on fabric panels, a new, cutting edge technology for mural installations. The students painted directly on the fabric. The panels will be adhered to the wall with a special adhesive followed by a protective coating
Installation of the mural was set for last fall, but after several attempts at putting the mural on the wall, DiNapoli-Mylet realized that the wall itself was just too cold, according to Executive Director Jane Lonon of the Ashe County Arts Council. Although the temperature was okay and the air was warm enough, the wall was too cold for the adhesive gel to hold.
Now the mural installation has been complete. 'The newest mural in the downtown arts district is a bright, vibrant tribute to the diversity of Ashe County. The project was a collaborative effort with the Middle School and was funded and sponsored by the Arts Council. The subject matter and the title 'Unity in Diversity' speak volumes about the changing face of our county,' Lonon explained.
'Eighth grade Spanish class students developed the design for the mural and they completed the art work under the direction of artist, Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet. The mural was created on fabric panels and was then transferred and adhered to the wall. The artist tied everything together. It's a stunning example of new methodology in the creation of murals and is an outstanding example of a collaborative project within our community.'
Spanish Teacher Margo Mullinax of Ashe County Middle School said last fall the mural project was very exciting for her and her students. Last year, she said she went to the Arts Council with a project proposal. 'That dream became a reality. As a Spanish teacher, I struggle daily to find ways to interest my students in Spanish and fight preconceived prejudices about Hispanic culture. As a class, we work all semester talking about ideas of diversity, tolerance, and peace. I thought the creation of a mural would be the perfect way to share with the community what we had been working on in class,' Mullinax explained.
'I wanted a mural that would be created by my students for the community, a project they would have ownership and pride in. I hope the mural will be something they point out to their friends each time they pass by, share the symbols with their family and carry the memory of the project with them into adulthood, maybe even pointing out the mural to their children.'
The class began brainstorming together as to what message they hoped to send to the community. Mullinax said all students agreed that we wanted to encourage tolerance in our community, a celebration of diversity in Ashe County, a rejection of prejudices and an overall feeling of community unity. 'To underline these attitudes we asked volunteers from the Latino Center to help with the painting. We especially wanted a mural that would belong to the community, representing where we lived, the beauty of the nature in our area and the issues of our community. We wanted a mural that would cause people to stop and think,' Mullinax pointed out.
The artist then took a list of ideas submitted by each student, along with their drawing sketches and created the mural design based upon a combination of these student suggestions, according to Mullinax. The mural was then shown to the students for approval, with several students exclaiming, 'Our mural is going to be the best one in all of Ashe' and 'Hey, that was my idea.'
The artist then drew the mural on large fabric squares using a grid technique. The students proceeded to outline all of her drawings and then fill-in with the appropriate colors at her instruction. As the students have said, 'Mrs. Marianne always knew what to do; she was really cool and helped us a lot. We want to thank her for working with us and letting us get to know her.'
'Every eighth grade student who takes Spanish at Ashe County Middle School has participated. Most of my students could tell you exactly every spot they painted, down to each blade of grass. Painting helped us to learn a lesson in unity, too,' Mullinax noted. 'All of the students are very excited and the response from the project has been overwhelmingly positive. Most students have said that 'the project has really helped [them] think more about different groups in our community'. The students describe the mural as 'teaching everyone to get along no matter their skin color' and the idea that, 'the Hispanics in our community are just like us in many ways.'
Mullinax said she and the students 'hope the community will learn as much from the mural as we have. Be sure to look for the symbols in the mural and try to figure out the Spanish words along the border.
'This project would not have been possible without the support of the Arts Council, which has been an immense help. The Arts Council made my dream a reality, helping us to find funding, an artist, a mural site, and so much more. The Spanish classes would also like to thank the owners of Geno's, who have been very cooperative and generous in the use of their building.'
DiNapoli-Mylet is known for another mural in West Jefferson, Traditions on the New River at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Main Street. DiNapoli-Mylet has created murals across the state and is recognized for her use of vibrant color and a sometimes whimsical style. She is an accomplished painter whose balance of technique and style result in images that are beautifully crafted. Her ability to engage the cultural influences of the region is particularly significant in this project.
The project is funded with an Arts in Education Residency Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council in partnership with Ashe Middle School, the West Jefferson Partnership Committee, and the Latino Center.
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