Middle School Cafeteria Soon to Be Swimming in Wacky Fish:
Artist-in-Residence Paul Frehe Inspires New Art Mural

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Ceramic artist Paul Frehe's surprising marine specimens
were a hit in the Middle School--and the model for an
ambitious new sealife mural.

Things started getting very fishy in the Middle School on January 12, when ceramic artist Paul Frehe began a weeklong artist-in-residency in the Middle School.

A studio tech at the Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts in Asheville, North Carolina, Frehe was an instant hit as a visiting Middle School art teacher. Students warmed to his wacky sense of humor--and the chance to sculpt their own amusing sea creatures out of clay. An avid diver in Hawaii and the Caribbean, Frehe brought along some hilarious examples of his art in various stages of completion to help turn on the faucet to our students' imaginations.

Explaining her plans to transform a wall in the Krieger Dining Hall, Middle School art teacher Alice Munn announced, "Paul's residency will be the basis of a permanent new mural in the cafeteria displaying sculptures by all the students in the Middle School." Her plan envisions mounting the fishy ceramic characters in a mural that will stand as a witty testament to our students' creative abilities long after they have graduated.

Mr. Frehe demonstrates clay modeling techniques to an
attentive group of fifth grade boys. A former potter in southern
California, he delighted students with his sense of humor,
which provides him with relief from his more serious, socially
conscious artwork.

Parent volunteer par excellence Linda Claytor assisted
students during the entire weeklong residency. Her daughter
Rachel is a sixth-grader.

Fifth and sixth grade students created smaller fish for the mural, while seventh and eighth-graders had the opportunity to research and model larger sea life plants and animals, including kelp, a whale, octopus, sea turtle, and swordfish. A number of faculty and staff members, even a few parents, were so taken by the project that they too dove in and crafted contributions to the mural. The fifth and sixth grade students in Ms. Munn's Monday Activities art group will keep the project afloat by molding smaller elements for the ocean floor, such as sand dollars and starfish.

Imagining the giant squid...

Firing the 300-odd student sculptures is a whale of an undertaking for art teachers Munn and Brent Roberts.

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Art teachers Alice Munn (left) and Brent Roberts (right) assist students with their sculptures.

"It will require about 25 firings," Ms. Munn calculated, "each taking four days." Having enjoyed Ms. Munn's help in firing and installing the tile mural in the Lower School, art teacher Marilyn Wood will return the favor by assisting with the time-consuming firing process.

Are we having fun yet? Definitely!

These girls rolled balls of clay into giant fish eyes. Along
the wall behind them in the Garden Level art studio are
trays of completed fish sculptures waiting to be fired.

We will be sure to bring you photos of the completed mural when it is installed, but for now, please enjoy the photos of our students at work on a very fishy project by clicking on the additional links above.