(June 16, 2016) Not long after the first part of a planned five-panel mural was hung on the exterior of the downtown visitor’s center in March, members of the Berlin Arts & Entertainment Committee, and artist John Donato quickly got to work on “phase two.”
Previously, the group used the ideas – and brushstrokes – of children at nearby Buckingham Elementary School. This time, the work moved a few blocks north, to Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services.
Last Wednesday, Donato and A&E member Robin Tomaselli were both inside the “Ray” room at WYFCS, prepping for the arrival of their student-collaborators.
Donato had taped down several yards of tarps and drop cloth over the floors around the second panel of the mural, which hung on the wall. While talking, he added small details to the outline using a large, black marker.
The image continued the train motif established in the first panel, but Donato said there would be “thought bubbles and conversations going on” inside the image, discussing subjects including “overcoming adversity and fear.”
Visiting speakers were scheduled to come in at various times throughout the painting process, which is expected to last as least several weeks, including Carol Rose from the Berlin Historical Society, and members of the Berlin Police Department.
Several times, Donato used the word “depth” to describe the subject matter.
“That comes from the children,” he said. “We meet with them ahead of time and I talk to them about what should be in the mural and what’s important to them. I actually really seek out a lot of the subject matter from them, just to get ideas as to how we can make this more meaningful.”
He said there were noticeable differences between the elementary school students who helped create the first panel, and the ones at WYFCS, many of whom are teenagers.
“Their thinking is really along the lines of where they are now – what’s going on today – and what’s going to go on tomorrow. What kind of world are they inheriting, even here in this town,” he said.
Tomaselli said that latter thought had been a reoccurring theme.
“One of the resounding things that we have heard is that there is not a lot that Berlin has for kids their age – and that is true,” she said. “If that resonates with any of us, that should resonate that we probably need to do something about that sooner or later. You can’t expect people their age to feel really invested in this community if there’s not a lot that this community offers them.”
Donato sketches out those brainstorming sessions on long scrolls of paper, then works to separate the reoccurring themes, which he then tries to translate into images that could go into the mural. That, he said, is his “gift.”
“That’s where the magic comes in – it’s really bridging all these different things,” he said. “It sort of just makes the theming a little more interesting and provides the depth for some provocative thought for other people to view it.”
Along with painting a pretty picture, which Donato admitted was goal number one, the A&E group is also trying to offer the participants a sense of ownership.
“Their paintbrush is touching this and this is something that is actually going to be installed on the visitor’s center,” Tomaselli said. “Even though it’s a little teeny, weenie piece of the pie, they can see that on Main Street and every time their bus passes it or they walk by they can see a part of themselves. That content came from them, and it will be there for a really long time.”
“This gives them a voice,” Donato said. “People are going to look at it. It’s going to be fun and that will lure people in, and when they start reading it they’re going to discover these things that no one would ever hear.”
Despite already putting in months of work on the project, Tomaselli said she is still “blown away” by the level and kind of collaboration the children put into the project every time they meet.
“I wish everybody could experience what it’s like to really be in the trenches of this process, because then you really see how transformative art can be in somebody’s life,” she said. “Whether they’re talented in that area or not, just being able to express themselves in a different way than they might be accustomed to – there’s power in it.”
The finished panel will debut during Berlin’s 2nd Friday art stroll, July 10, at Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services on 124 North Main Street. Afterwards, it will be permanently installed on the north-facing wall of the visitor’s center.
Previously, the group used the ideas – and brushstrokes – of children at nearby Buckingham Elementary School. This time, the work moved a few blocks north, to Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services.
Last Wednesday, Donato and A&E member Robin Tomaselli were both inside the “Ray” room at WYFCS, prepping for the arrival of their student-collaborators.
Donato had taped down several yards of tarps and drop cloth over the floors around the second panel of the mural, which hung on the wall. While talking, he added small details to the outline using a large, black marker.
The image continued the train motif established in the first panel, but Donato said there would be “thought bubbles and conversations going on” inside the image, discussing subjects including “overcoming adversity and fear.”
Visiting speakers were scheduled to come in at various times throughout the painting process, which is expected to last as least several weeks, including Carol Rose from the Berlin Historical Society, and members of the Berlin Police Department.
Several times, Donato used the word “depth” to describe the subject matter.
“That comes from the children,” he said. “We meet with them ahead of time and I talk to them about what should be in the mural and what’s important to them. I actually really seek out a lot of the subject matter from them, just to get ideas as to how we can make this more meaningful.”
He said there were noticeable differences between the elementary school students who helped create the first panel, and the ones at WYFCS, many of whom are teenagers.
“Their thinking is really along the lines of where they are now – what’s going on today – and what’s going to go on tomorrow. What kind of world are they inheriting, even here in this town,” he said.
Tomaselli said that latter thought had been a reoccurring theme.
“One of the resounding things that we have heard is that there is not a lot that Berlin has for kids their age – and that is true,” she said. “If that resonates with any of us, that should resonate that we probably need to do something about that sooner or later. You can’t expect people their age to feel really invested in this community if there’s not a lot that this community offers them.”
Donato sketches out those brainstorming sessions on long scrolls of paper, then works to separate the reoccurring themes, which he then tries to translate into images that could go into the mural. That, he said, is his “gift.”
“That’s where the magic comes in – it’s really bridging all these different things,” he said. “It sort of just makes the theming a little more interesting and provides the depth for some provocative thought for other people to view it.”
Along with painting a pretty picture, which Donato admitted was goal number one, the A&E group is also trying to offer the participants a sense of ownership.
“Their paintbrush is touching this and this is something that is actually going to be installed on the visitor’s center,” Tomaselli said. “Even though it’s a little teeny, weenie piece of the pie, they can see that on Main Street and every time their bus passes it or they walk by they can see a part of themselves. That content came from them, and it will be there for a really long time.”
“This gives them a voice,” Donato said. “People are going to look at it. It’s going to be fun and that will lure people in, and when they start reading it they’re going to discover these things that no one would ever hear.”
Despite already putting in months of work on the project, Tomaselli said she is still “blown away” by the level and kind of collaboration the children put into the project every time they meet.
“I wish everybody could experience what it’s like to really be in the trenches of this process, because then you really see how transformative art can be in somebody’s life,” she said. “Whether they’re talented in that area or not, just being able to express themselves in a different way than they might be accustomed to – there’s power in it.”
The finished panel will debut during Berlin’s 2nd Friday art stroll, July 10, at Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services on 124 North Main Street. Afterwards, it will be permanently installed on the north-facing wall of the visitor’s center.