This fall, Middle School Art students created a beautiful community art installation titled “The Recycled Relief Mural.” Now on display in the Main Building, the piece is inspired by the work of Louise Nevelson, a pioneering modernist sculptor known for her large-scale wooden assemblages made from found objects.

Under Ms. Machado’s guidance, sixth graders led this division-wide collaboration. After studying Nevelson’s style, they created their own interpretations by transforming recycled materials—such as cardboard and paper rolls—into unified sculptures painted in a single color. They also invited the fifth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders to contribute their own square sections. Students in Sixth Grade Art and Two- and Three-Dimensional Art classes built and painted the complete installation. Fifth graders helped paint several panels to prepare for the sixth graders’ practice session in hanging large-scale artwork.

This project strengthened students’ composition and spatial planning skills and deepened their appreciation for recycled art, as the entire mural is composed of reused materials sourced by faculty and students. It also introduced them to concepts of monochromatic design, abstraction, and the expressive possibilities of form and texture.

Bravo to our Middle School installation artists!