Third graders spell out art in downtown Saltillo
Jun. 20—SALTILLO — A new piece of public art — the handiwork of local third graders — was unveiled Tuesday evening in downtown Saltillo.
The 8-by-20-foot mural was attached to the west side of Saltillo City Hall. The colorful mural, which spells out "Saltillo," is along Front Street, between the city's administrative offices and the fire department.
Mississippi Arts Commission representative artist Amanda Koonlaba worked with the Madison Roncalli's third grade class at Saltillo Elementary School during the last school year to create the mural.
"As a teaching artist for the Mississippi Whole Schools, it was important to include the kids in this project," Koonlaba said. "There is something magical about the way kids put marks on canvas. I can't replicate it."
In the classroom, Koonlaba used desks to support much smaller canvases. The children were able to walk around them and reach all areas. Instead of just painting simple letters, Koonlaba introduced perspective, shading and other techniques used by artists.
"We talked about layering and how to build up to add depth," Koonlaba said.
Because the intended location on the side of city hall is covered with vinyl siding, officials had to rethink the traditional mural. The original artwork, painted onto canvas, was photographed. That digital image was carried to Fast Wrapz, where it was printed on five 4-foot-by 8-foot Dibond panels designed to survive the elements.
And even though the panels are two-dimensional, the final result is true to the young artists' work.
"It is an accurate representation," Koonlaba said. "It captures their brush strokes and even the layering."
Saltillo Main Street Association President Erica Morgan said the original art will be installed inside the community room, where it will be safe from the weather.
The children's artwork is the third mural Saltillo officials commissioned last year, when the association renewed its push for more public art. Just a block away, the two other murals sit diagonally across the intersection of Mobile Street and Second Avenue from each other.
Artist Kit Stafford completed her historic image of a Mobile & Ohio train at the original Saltillo passenger depot on the west wall of the old Saltillo Bank building in April. The old depot was located where city hall is today.
The third mural is being painted on the east side of Al Rice's building on the northwest corner of the Mobile Street and Second Avenue intersection. Kim Pastis Westhouse's artwork will cover the history of the Saltillo area, including references to Lake Lamar Bruce, the Natchez Trace Parkway, the high school Tiger mascot, the old opera house and even an image of the original Euclatubba.
There are already a pair of murals in downtown Saltillo. Muralist McKinnon Herring painted the Yellow Submarine mural on the side and rear of the Teacher's Resource Center in the summer of 2017. In 2016, she created a vintage-inspired Coca-Cola advertisement on the east side of Integrity Auto Body.
