Deck the Walls
Installation February 1,2009
:::Deck The Walls:::
Keep an eye on the walls as they change often, additions will be made weekly!
Last addition 3/1/09
2-01-09 WATTS NEW
The first day of February could have been the first day of Spring at the Smithville Skatepark on Sunday. Dozens of skaters came out to enjoy the warm, sunny day at the only skatepark in the region. Obviously, skating is always the main attraction to this treasure for the youth of Smithville - and any of us "older folks" with good agility and brave hearts, but Sunday culminated in a very special project that our kids have been working on for some time.
Richard Latham has, for a few years now, envisioned a large mosaic mural somewhere in Smithville. Last summer, our resident mosaic artist and secretary of the LPAA, Stephanie McNabb, Les Warren, Lauren at the Rec Center and Richard, came up with an idea. They would work with the kids who use the skatepark. This, they hoped, would give our younger people a sense of belonging and of owning a part of their community.
Thus, the great mosaic project, "Deck the Walls", was born! It started over the summer of 2008, two days a week at the Rec Center, then, once school started, the meeting time moved to every Thursday evening at the Mary Nichols Art Center. Stephanie, Les Warren, Nancy Hartke and parent volunteer Toni Gilmore have gathered at the Mary Nichols Art Gallery to instruct, assist and encourage your young people to make art from broken plates, tiles, glass, marbles, stones, beads and anything else they could think of. There have been more than 20 youths who came to learn about mosaic art.
The designs were initially drawn out on paper - in the shape of "decks" (translated: "skateboards" to my generation!). When the designs were ready, they were placed under a layer of clear plastic, and then a layer of fiberglass mesh to which the bits and pieces of the mosaic were laid out and glued to make the design. Once the tiles were glued down to the mesh they were ready to be installed at the skatepark. That's what happened this past Sunday. The kids mixed up thinset and applied it to the walls and then stuck the meshed mosaics into the thinset.
They also created a silhouette of a skater out of broken tile applied directly to the wall. Everyone who wanted to was able to make their mark by placing tiles into the project. Young children, parents, maybe even grandparents and teens worked side by side to make it happen. Now that's community! There were 7 decks installed, and 7 more are in the works to be installed at a later date.
Sounds simple, right? This project has taken eight months of dedication and commitment from Lost Pines Artisans' Alliance members who have donated their time and energy to get to this point in the ongoing project. The Recreation Center has been behind this project from the beginning and the Keep Smithville Beautiful Committee has been the primary funding source. Les Warren, Toni Gilmore, and Gina Coronis of La Cabana restaurant provided "fuel" for the installation event in the form of pizza and drinks, and adults took turns providing snacks for the Thursday evening meetings.
Make no mistake; it couldn't have happened without the enthusiasm and creativity of the young people in our community. They have come to participate from as far as Buda, LaGrange and Ruthersville, regularly on Thursday evenings to work on the project and have brought friends to join in. The youth of Smithville and Bastrop County do, indeed, own their skatepark, and they are very proud of it. They realize what a treasure they have, and want to make it even more special through the mosaic project.
photo:Devon Gilmore
If you've never been there, you'll be surprised to see this remarkable recreation site behind the Rec Center. I was astounded see the performances of some of these youngsters! I tried it once and ….. we just won't go there. And their talents don't stop at what they can do on eight wheels. Take a look at the first installations of murals. Our goal is to cover every vertical surface of this park before we stop. The project is on-going, so young folks can still get in on the action at the Art Center, 301 Burleson every Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. There is no charge to participate (although we would always appreciate donations).
Stephanie will also be visiting the park often to facilitate continued mosaic installations directly to the walls by the kids.
Go have a look and congratulate the artists if you see them flying up and down the hills and valleys of the park.
Participation in the project is free and snacks are provided. Parents are also welcome to come meet the volunteer instructors and tour the facility. Stay tuned to this website for photos and updates. For directions to the art center and more information on how to participate call 360-2822 or 979-702-1246.
This project has received sponsorship and support from Keep Smithville Beautiful.