High school artists shine 'points of light' on Minersville

Jun. 15—MINERSVILLE — Dozens of high school students took part in a collaborative art project highlighting unique features about their community.

As part of a county-wide initiative by the Walk In Art Center, student artists at Minersville Area School District created a large mural, along with several mini-murals, depicting important natural and manmade features in their home area. The students targeted areas within their school district boundaries, which include the borough of Minersville, as well as Branch, Cass, Foster and Reilly townships.

Known as the 783 Points of Light project, the initiative paired Minersville Area art director Tamie Woodruff with WIAC resident artist Heather Butler, who guided and oversaw the students' work.

"They depicted different things they found pleasing to them," Woodruff said.

Minersville Area is one of 11 school districts in the county involved in the project. For their larger mural, the students took a historical approach, delving into the borough's roots and history for inspiration, Woodruff said.

After some reading and researching, the students ultimately came up with a lineup of subjects to illustrate, which included landmarks like the Minersville Mansion, the Buck Run clock and the Irish rock near Heckscherville.

The result is a 4-by-6-foot painting depicting a mashup of about 15 area landmarks. Among the prominent pieces in the mural are the coal miners statue, the Minersville train station and the Swatara Falls; in the background, the Ss. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Cemetery can be seen on a hilly backdrop.

The mural was created by about 20 students from eighth through 12th grades, many of whom are members of the school's art club.

Woodruff, who is originally from Northumberland County, said the project was an enlightening glimpse into the history and culture of Minersville.

"We learned a lot from it," she said. "As you know, there are so many negative thoughts and opinions of Schuylkill County, and hopefully this will change some students' perspectives."

Woodruff's hope is to have the mural installed on a wall outside of Minersville Area Elementary School sometime in the summer.

"We want it out in the public," she said. "We don't want it to be hidden away."

The 1-by-1-foot mini-murals, meanwhile, were made primarily by the 10th through 12th grade students in Woodruff's Painting and Advanced Studio classes. For these murals, the students depicted scenes from nature, although some included landmarks in their designs.

Each mini-mural will be listed for sale on the Walk In Art Center website within the next week, Woodruff said. The murals are intended for area businesses to use and install on their property.

"There are a lot of family businesses that said they would already purchase one," Woodruff said.

Originally proposed in 2019, the Points of Light project was intended to be completed by the end of the 2019-20 school year, but complications from the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the process.

The project highlights the county's resources, history and culture through each student's personal vision of what they see as unique or important about their community.

Most of the school districts have finished their murals, and a reception was held last year at the Walk In Art Center showcasing several of the projects.

Lorraine Felker, a WIAC board member and resident artist, plans to host another public event this year for the remaining school districts, which include Minersville Area and Tri-Valley.

"I think it's a fun, fantastic way of bringing art to the public in all of our school districts, county-wide," Felker said. "Unfortunately, art programs have been greatly affected by all of the school budget issues that have hit the districts over the last 10 years."

Butler hopes to showcase all of the mini-murals for the students and their families before their artwork is distributed to the businesses.

"I'm always a big proponent of getting art out into the community," Butler said. "I think it's something that's really missing in Schuylkill County."

Perhaps most importantly, she said, the project gave the students a sense of pride in their community.

"There was a lot to try and bring into one visual representation," she said. "But the students were really on top of getting all of that incorporated."

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085