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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 9, 2004 School unveils tapestry of tiles By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings PHOENIX - Piece by piece, students at Phoenix Elementary School have played a part in creating their own work of art that will be displayed at the school permanently. For four months, the students have created self-portrait tiles that will be displayed throughout the walls on the school grounds. Each of the school's 397 first- through fifth-graders created a tile work, consisting of six pieces each. Approximately 4,000 tile pieces, totaling 600 square feet, will be installed by the end of the month. A portion of the tiles were unveiled to the children, who clapped and screamed with Phoenix Elementary School students Andrew Vargas (left) and Travis Tredway celebrate after a tile wall mural bearing their self-portraits is revealed Tuesday at the school. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings excitement as the construction paper was removed to show their work on Tuesday. "That's me!" an excited student said pointing to his title piece. "Art is such a part of life," said principal Jeff Fagen. "When they do a project like this, it makes them feel a part of the school. When they come back 15 years from now, their picture will still be up and they'll still be connected." The project was brought to Medford artist Christopher Buchler by the school's Parent Teacher Association, which wanted a way to beautify the school and give students something they could call their own, said Sue Carroll, volunteer art center coordinator at the school. "It's good for their brains and good for their spirit," she said. "This is a form of expression for these students in a low-income school district who might not normally have art access. ... It says to them, 'I value what you're doing' - and that's an empowering experience for the kids." Helping students with the tiles has been one of the best experiences of his career, Buchler said. "I love it," he said. "I learn a great deal from the students and they learn from me. It's great to foster their enthusiasm and their experiences and how they see the world and themselves in these tiles. Art is such a human way of showing who I am and how I fit into the world. They are realizing it's not just a picture in a tile, it expresses who they are." Each tile was also made by the students, who just started with a lump of clay. To Buchler, students needed to know they are valued and appreciated, and have outlets like this to express themselves. "It gives kids the idea that without them and their creatively the school would just be a bunch of teachers out of a job," he said. "It's creating an environment where they enjoy the creative process and realize how much they like to learn." Fifth-grader Chris Barajas already likes to express himself through the rings in his ears and his eyebrows. But for him, being able to show what he looked like in his tile piece - piercings and all, was a special experience. "I love to paint and work on art," he said. "It helps you not get into trouble. It's a way to create and do different things every day." Renee Murphy, a fourth-grader, was impressed to see all the students' work unveiled. "It was colorful and exciting," she said. "It was fun to see what everyone else did and what they drew." The PTA raised the more than $8,000 for the project through grants and donations from parents and local businesses. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams