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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Room for improvement ... Electric Highway aims to spark more EV use ... Rogue River man held on murder charge ... Room for improvement ... Electric Highway aims to spark more EV use ... Rogue River man held on murder charge ... EDUCATION Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 at 12:01 AM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Social News Roman romanticism meets rural Ruch in Philippo Lo Grande’s mural, painted in the commons area, soon to be the amphitheater of Ruch Community School. Lo Grande was born and raised in Detroit and studied art at the Studio Art Center International in Florence, Italy, before beginning his 30-year career as a vagabond artist. His work has taken him to 11 countries and 38 states, most recently to Southern Oregon, where Ruch Principal Julie Barry discovered him painting en plein air in Jacksonville and commissioned him to paint a mural at her school. In exchange for a few household items, some rain gear and a small stipend, Lo Grande agreed, and for the past few months, he’s spent six to 10 hours a day working on the mural, conversing with students and teaching them how to make their own drawing board, create portraits and use Prismacolor sticks. “This is my 28th mural,” said Lo Grande, adding that most of his murals are around Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. “I tried doing this in Detroit, but it was too dangerous,” he said. “It was safer in Mexico.” At Ruch, in a style he calls “magical realism,” Lo Grande depicts mountains and valleys, the progression of the seasons, a stone bridge, the town’s original century-old schoolhouse, and an outdoor stage with columns, reminiscent of the Roman aqueducts. All this he does in his signature purple and gold hues with beeswax-based acrylics. When the mural is done, Barry said the school will create amphitheater seating so students can perform and present outdoors. The school’s parent teacher organization pays for artists to come in and provide weekly art instruction to all grades, and together with a local benefactor Wayne Ching, covered the cost of Lo Grande’s work. Some of Lo Grande’s landscapes, streetscapes and portraits are currently on display at the Creator’s Gallery in Jacksonville. To view more of his work, see www.flickr.com/photos/logrande . Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 26, 2014 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501