Dec 6, 2018 3 min read

Students at Carmichaels Area High School are collaborating with a Pittsburgh artist to create a stained-glass mosaic that will be displayed at the school’s front entrance in mid-December.

“It’s refreshing because this is new to me as well,” said Marlynn White, the school’s art teacher. “It’s nice for the students to get something they’ve never been exposed to before.”

Every Tuesday, the 76 students work during their respective art periods with the artist, who has a 10-week residency at the school.

“I’ve been having a good time. I love seeming them fascinated,” said Sarah Cohen, the artist from the Pittsburgh Glass Center. “Access to glass isn’t (readily) available. That’s why this residency is so cool.”

Cohen dedicated the first four weeks to teaching the students proper techniques, safety and the history of mosaics. During that time, the students worked on smaller, individual projects. Over the course of the remaining weeks, Cohen and the students created the larger piece together.

White said this collaboration was the result of her networking with the Pittsburgh Glass Center. She’s visited the center twice with groups of students.

“With support from EQT, we reached out to most schools in the Washington and Greene County area with the opportunity of a residency with Pittsburgh Glass Center,” said Ashley McFarland, the center’s education and accessibility manager. “Marlynn was interested in our proposal. We worked with (her) to determine a time frame and project that would work for her and the students.”

Funding for this project came from two grants: one from EQT and one from Remake Learning, a network of organizations based in Pittsburgh dedicated to spreading learning to youth.

“All of (our) current education activities are funded through two generous grants from the EQT Foundation and Remake Learning,” said Paige Ilkhanipour, marketing director of the Pittsburgh Glass Center. “EQT supports arts and culture initiatives, especially those that benefit the communities in which they work; and Remake Learning seeks to support equitable learning experiences through projects that work alongside underserved groups, including learners in rural areas.”

Cohen said the imagery seen in the mosaic was the students’ idea. She asked what themes they want to see on the glass. They decided on nature and school spirit, Cohen said, and the glass is inspired by impressionist paintings. The overall theme is nature, with little emblems of school spirit sprinkled in.

The Pittsburgh Glass Center conducts 15 to 20 residencies annually, varying in size, duration and activity, McFarland said.

“The goal of our residency is to expose students and educators to glass art. Glass is a rare art form that isn’t easily accessible,” McFarland said. “The cost, equipment and complexities can be a challenge. We want to make it accessible to everyone especially educators and their students.”

For more information on the Pittsburgh Glass Center, visit its website at www.pittsburghglasscenter.org.