Lakewood continues to establish itself as a hub for young artists as student artists at Lakewood High School prepare to unveil a newly completed mural that will be displayed at the Lakewood Public Library on Jan. 28.
“This project pushed me beyond my comfort zone,” said student artist Margo Nefedova. “It made me think more broadly and critically about my own process –- approach problems, refine ideas, manage time.”
The mural is a six-piece, multimedia canvas artwork entitled ‘Intertwined’. The Lakewood Public Library reached out to Dayna Hansen, the head of the art department at Lakewood High School, and asked if students could create a mural to be displayed at the library.
“We used colored pencils for details, highlights and smaller shadows … [while] we used chalk for shading behind the books,” said student artist Sandy Penney. “Then we also used paper for our ‘exploding elements’, as Mrs. Hansen calls them.”
Students in Art 4 and AP 2D Art and Design spent multiple months planning, drafting, and constructing the mural. Their work began in late Aug. when students started by drafting design ideas. Eventually they landed on the concept drafted by Ursula Rosen in October involving open story books revealing designs and artworks based on actual books.
(From left to right): Ava Cox, Sandy Penney, Jameson Walker, Adele Wentzel, Poppy Smrekar
After the initial design was approved, students continued planning the mural until after Thanksgiving Break. In early December, the mural canvas arrived, allowing students to begin sketching and designing the final mural.
“We … just [dived] right into the project, without even doing a practice or anything,” Penney said, “it got kind of stressful, but being able to work on it all together made it easier for everyone.”
Throughout Dec. and some of January, Art 4 and AP 2D Design students dedicated two to three class periods every day to the mural. Students were frequently seen in the art atrium, drawing, painting and refining their work as part of their daily class routine.
“This is the first year the Lakewood Public Library has reached out to Mrs. Hansen … to see if we could create any work for the library,” art student Jameson Walker said. “[Going forward] it will alternate between Lakewood High School and Ed’s, so this year we did it … then the next year, [St. Ed’s] installation will go in.”
Students said projects like this provide opportunities for collaboration and community engagement. “I think this experience was meaningful because it allowed our class to work together on a piece,” Walker said. “We have to see more into each other’s creative processes and spend time together as a class. Joking around, having fun creating art.”
Top Row: Ava Cox, Jesse Robertson, Lilli Augusty, Jameson Walker, Dayna Hansen, Adele Wentzel, Margo Nefedova, Jay Dozier, Oliver Goldman
Bottom Row: Poppy Smrekar, Sophia Eccher, Ursula Rosen, Sandy Penney
Titled Intertwined, the mural reflects both the artistic talent and teamwork of Lakewood High School students. Since the beginning of the school year, students have devoted much of their time and focus to completing the project.
An unveiling event will be held Jan. 28 at the Lakewood Public Library, and members of the public are encouraged to attend.
“This experience was very valuable in terms of giving me a meaningful collaboration experience and allowing me to work with a new medium,” Nefedova said. “The combination of technical exploration and teamwork made this project unforgettable, fun, and educational, and it helped to significantly broaden my creative and collaborative experiences.”
