Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
POSING THURSDAY with a paper wigwam made by students of the Watersmeet K-12 School are, from left, Lynn Richie, Wendy Powalisz, artist Norma Dycus Pennycuff (hunched inside) and art teacher Nina Fiorucci. The project was part of a program made possible by a grant initiated through Wisconsin's Land O'Lakes Arts, with which Richie and Pawalisz are affiliated. The wigwam is in the school lobby.
By P.J. GLISSON
Watersmeet - People walking into the lobby of the Watersmeet K-12 School are greeted by a life-sized wigwam made of paper.
The project made by middle and high school students is just one result of an art education grant made possible by the state, via Land O'Lakes Arts in Land O'Lakes, Wis.
According to Nina Fiorucci, the school's art teacher, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs provided the grant, for which LOLA applied on behalf of the school.
Fiorucci said the grant allowed artist Debra Jircik, of Eagle River, Wis., to be an artist-in-residence in the Watersmeet school for five weeks.
During that time, Fiorucci said Jircik worked with all levels of the school's 135 students on the central theme of the grant project, which was to combine the Scandinavian concept of "hygge" with Ojibway tradition.
Because "hygge" suggests physical and social warmth, Fiorucci said Jircik focused primarily on the notion of staying cozy "through long, grey winters."
She added, "Our most collaborative project was our wigwam," and she credited native studies teacher Wade Wairtalla for teaching them "the methods and traditions" of creating one.
"He was a huge part of realizing this project," she said.
Fiorucci said Jircik, a papermaker with 20 years of experience, helped students to create materials for the wigwam by introducing them to a paper press machine, which the teacher said is "not normally within the scope" of a school art program.
"We made handmade paper to appear as birch bark," said Fiorucci. "We made natural dye out of avocado and walnuts, and we dyed fabrics with it."
Jircik was unable to attend the showing of the art projects on Thursday, but her assistant in the grant project was present.
Norma Dycus Pennycuff, an artist and art educator from Eagle River, said she was "excited" to help Jircik during the "really fun" project. "I've learned a lot," she said, adding, "I think the kids liked seeing how all that work came together."
Beyond that, said Fiorucci, the grant project also focused on "combining nature and art" via "natural processes." For instance, Japanese brush work suggested meditation, and chalk pastels related to the appreciation of the northern lights.
According to Lynn Richie, LOLA's board president, Fiorucci was LOLA's first art education intern.
"My relationship with LOLA spans back about seven years," said Fiorucci, who has a bachelor's degree in photography and art education and occasionally stopped while being interviewed to call out "Hi, honey!" to passing students or to give them a hug. She also teaches art at Ewen-Trout Creek's K-12 School.
Wendy Powalisz, Land O'Lakes Arts program director, also attended Thursday's showing, which occurred before and during the school's Christmas Concert.
This is the second year LOLA has made possible a grant for the school.
