Alley Art Mural Project
The High School Learning Center of the Corning-Painted Post Area School District (C-PP HSLC), in partnership with the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, proposed an "Alley Art Project" to the City of Corning in 2009. After careful deliberation, The Museum, C-PP HSLC, the City of Corning, Corning's Gaffer District and Market Street Restoration offices have all worked together to move this project forward. Beginning in August of 2009, High School Learning Center students began designs for what became the mural painting, Tree of Life. The Project began with a mural drawn by C-PP HSLC 1+ year students, inspired by Native American symbolism and American Western art found in the Rockwell Museum of Western Art's permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Barry Nicholson, owner of Connors Mercantile, generously offered the alley façade of "Connor's Mercantile" as a canvas for the mural (located directly behind the Museum's visitor parking lot).
Under the direction of the Museum's Education Department and HSLC staff, the Alley Art Project builds on a nine year partnership between the Museum and the HSLC. Students fulfill mandatory Art and English Language Arts (ELA) credits at the Museum as they create works for public presentation and exhibit. Rockwell Museum of Western Art and C-PP HSLC are working with the Gaffer District to develop a long-term plan for the expansion of this program over several years, and alley façade buildings.
The Alley Art Project has become a community project involving over 100 individuals in the community and several organizations. The tremendous community support for the project has been greatly appreciated. HSLC students and graduate Bradford Leiby, Artist in Residence, contributed many hours to make this vision a reality.
About the Tree of Life
The seasons represented on this Tree of Life parallel the seasons of life; birth, youth, middle age and aged. The symbols on the trunk were created by students to represent the events often experienced along the way. The Guiding Principles of the Corning-Painted Post, High School Learning Center written in the roots symbolically stabilize the tree as they do each individual's life.
"The Tree of Life grows strong and tall. It symbolizes peace, growth, and strength which can't be taken once gained. It gives us light on the darkest days. It tells its beauty without a word," David, student.
The embryo represents the soul of the tree. The tree also has a heart for "Love is the root to equality, peace, freedom and happiness," Kyle, student.
The turtle is a symbol of Mother Earth which nourishes us and, "when balanced, brings harmony and wellness," Whitney, student.
The egg is symbolic of the how the environment surrounds us in a protective shell, enabling us to safely "go on for a lifetime," Tyler, student.
The knot marks the splits in life which sometimes "divide the simple and bright and the dark and chaotic," Brett, student.
"The piece I drew was reaching for the sun, the highest paint, the warmest point. It is very strong and everyone all connected - the closest you are, the more powerful. You just have to really want something and reach for it. The more you try, the closer you get to the things you want," Brenden, student.
A portion of the cost of this program is offset by a grant from the Great Circle Foundation, Inc.
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