BELLEFONTE AREA
SCHOOL NEWS
Bellefonte Town Mosaic at BAHS
814-355-4814 • www . basd . net
Walk the halls of the BAHS , and you might come across a large tile mosaic that is implanted on the wall , near the library . Years in the making , it ' s a project of tremendous effort from students and adults . Art teacher , Erin Welsh , provided readers with some background and the amount of love and work that went into this project .
When did the mosaic begin ? I wrote the grant for the mosaic materials the summer of ' 19 , and the Bellefonte Education Foundation awarded me the funds . My art counterpart , Heather McClure and I , wanted this to be a student-centered mosaic and asked for brainstorm sketches from anyone interested . We merged student designs into the Bellefonte landscape / townscape , used an opaque projector , and students traced the design onto backer boards and cut mirror for the sky and windows . Then the pandemic hit and Bellefonte schools , and the world , shut down . Mosaic was on hold .
What was the thought process behind it ? Why did this project start ? I love mosaics and make them in my own artistic practice . I took my first workshop in Philadelphia with artist Isaiah Zagar in 2008 at the famous Philadelphia Magic Gardens . I wanted to share my passion for mosaics and showcase the rich , long history and mosaic techniques with my students .
Who has been involved with this project ? Over the years , MANY students and staff have helped with this project . Matt Maris was an invaluable resource and gave suggestions and information on the history of Bellefonte and important buildings . Heather McClure helped and allowed her students to take part . Students were the driving force behind the mosaic . Art students who had an interest have loyally helped create this mosaic from 2019-2024 . It was built by them ... and for them , and for the entire community of Bellefonte . Big thanks to the Bellefonte Education Foundation for helping us fund it , the administration for letting us hang it , and the maintenance staff who did the hanging and lighting .
How was the mosaic created ? The mosaic was created on pieces of cement backerboard . Students learned to cut and glue tiles and grout . We used a tile supplier , but many were cut from donated pottery and mirror .
What have you learned through the process of completing this project ? We all learned that a pandemic can ' t stop us , it just slowed us down a bit ! We also learned that collaborative art can be impactful and important in a community . Many hands can make amazing things .
This is an incredible story of a project that began many years ago and with the help of so many , was able to come to fruition . Thank you to all that was involved in creating this beautiful mosaic piece of Bellefonte !
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