Aptos Junior Public Art

Aptos Junior High students get a hands-on lesson
BY LAURA NORTON
It’s not refrigerator art.
Instead of pieces likely to be hung on kitchen appliances and office walls, students at Aptos Junior High have been busy creating large pieces to grace the campus.
With the help of professional artists and a grant from parent Norman Black, whose deceased son was an Aptos student, two murals and a giant clay relief are now a part of the campus art scene.
“I thought the best thing to do with the money was to give kids the opportunity to work with professional artists,” said art teacher Susan Megorden.
Artist Katherine Wilson helped students create an 8-foot by 42-foot mural titled “Make History,” depicting Aptos history from the time of Ohlone habitation to the current era.
About 70 students worked on the mural and students are enjoying it, Wilson said.
Eighth-grader Matt Catalano said he liked the result.
“I like how they show everything we are learning. It shows the culture and the nature of the area, I think it looks really good,” he said.
Students also created a 7-foot-tall non-representational ceramic sculpture that frames a doorway to the art classroom. That piece, titled “Sentry,” took several months to create and students were involved every step of the way, Megorden said.
A third art project, a welcome mural at the entrance to the campus, is still in the works and should be completed soon.

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