University and Elementary Students Work Together for Mural

By: Bonney Bowman - Email

Updated: Wed 7:36 AM, Nov 21, 2012

UNL art student Sara McDonald is sharing her skills with the next generation of artists.

It's all part of UNL's community art class.

McDonald says, "We're not just painting. We're coming in and teaching the kids about the elements and principles of art and kind of get them into a basic understanding of what we do as students."

McDonald is paired up with McPhee Elementary 4th grader Mariah Chamberlin.

Together, they're working on a new mural for the school.

Chamberlin says, "I didn't know what some of the words meant, how to paint that way. I would have just painted it like I usually would but she taught me how to dab and everything."

Teacher Sarah Bumm says art can help students who struggle in more traditional subjects.

She says, "A lot of times it's the kids that maybe aren't quite as successful in the academic areas and they'll be able to come in here and still have a voice, no matter what their past experiences have been."

The teachers here say this is more than just a chance for the kids to get hands on with art.

Each grade gets a chance to work on the mural so when it's complete it represents the entire school and brings the students together.

When the mural is complete, it will hang in either the library of cafeteria at McPhee Elementary.

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