living wall viii

Donnegan Elementary & JAcobsburg Environmental Center 2022

In spring of 2022, Jacobsburg Environmental Center partnered with Pennsylvania Council of the Arts and Donnegan Elementary to create an artist residency that not only paired an art program with the school but also environmental education and field trips to Jacobsburg state park to create a hands on immersive educational experience that focused on art, science and the environment. I was selected to lead the in school art program that paired with the outdoor field trips to Jacobsburg where students learned about forest and river ecosystems, bird habitats, decomposers and more. In the art room I worked with Tiffany Anderson and her K through 5th grade art classes to create a living wall made of felted wool. The students learned about the magic of wool and fiber art, about the ancient practice of wet felting and learned to sculpt with wool to create their stones, vines, leaves and flowers. The final piece was shown to students and family at a culminating event at Jacobsburg which is captured in the wonderful video put together by Jacobsburg Volunteer, Ellyn Wong.