In September 2019, I began a residency project with 2nd graders at Steenrod Elementary School in Weirton, West Virginia. With grant funding secured by wonderful principal Michelle Dietrich, the can collage mural we created was part of an initiative called Math4Life, encouraging students to recognize the relevance of math in a wide variety of contexts outside of the classroom. The mural featured a trio of cardinals, the school mascot, and was installed in the main entrance of the school in spring 2020.

Over ten sessions, Jenna Daugherty’s second grade class worked with great patience and care to create the sky, branches, and features of the mural scene. For an 8-9 year old, this process can be a huge thrill (Using a tiny hammer?! In school?! Being loud?!) but also a big challenge—balancing both fine and gross motor skills, sustaining concentration in a loud classroom, focusing on hitting a tiny nail head. It’s incredible to observe the confidence that blooms amongst students as their grit and perseverance grows. Great thanks also to my collaborating classroom teacher, Kathy Karras, an art teacher with an incredible lifetime of experience and patience. It’s a true gift for me to observe and to learn from a teacher with so much insight when I’m a guest in a school.