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Art for Public Art Projects

ByS.H. Johnson

For several years as a guest artist for Jefferson County Schools, I worked with young kids in summer workshops and after school art clubs at Foster Elementary School. Together we created public art projects for the school and community gardens, learned a little about the muralist’s creative process and had a lot of fun making these ambitious works. These preparatory drawings and paintings were the foundation of the design and workshops, and the photographs show the finished works. The confluence of inspiration and design, science and craft, studio practice and alchemy provided the art lesson, and showing up to do the hard work did the rest. My late wife, Debbie Shirley, was the guiding light of the Project Prepare program, which sponsored the workshops and provided an incredible resource for kids in early arts education. The community garden was dedicated to her last year.

Artist, Designer, Photographer, Filmmaker & Craftsman. Traditional filmmaking and sound recording enthusiast, devoted film photographer and collector of vintage cameras. Committed to National Parks & Public Lands, Organic Gardening, Heirloom Apples & Native Flowers. Working on Handmade Arts & Crafts.