By:

Samantha Eimers

Kerri Janoske

Bridget Lozier

Aesthetic EducationCulminating Project

Our Focus Point :

Christ The King Chapel Altar

Mural

Christ The King Chapel

Mercyhurst Campus

Seeing

Smelling

Hearing

Feeling

Observing Using the Senses:

Sight Observations:

Smell Observations:

Hearing Observations:

Feeling Observations:

Using Past Experience to Observe:

How long did this work of art take to create?

How was it created?

How old is this work of art?

Is there just one artist, or several artists?

What exactly is it made out of?

Is it a popular work of art?

Questions That Came to Mind While Observing:

Mind Map

• Identical pieces of art on both the right and left sides of the central mural theme

• Stands about eight feet off the floor

• Senses:• See details • Feel cold stone and

its texture

Surrounding Object:

• Photo of the lower portion of the statue (previous image) on both sides of the mural

• Represents crucifixion

• App. 1 ½ feet tall

• Senses:• See great detail of

body and pained look on the face

• Feel the different textures of the candle, body, and its mount

Surrounding Object:

•Wooden altar on raised level

•Mural is directly behind it

•Surrounded by flowers

•Senses:• See the importance (raised level)• See flowers and candles• Feel smooth wood and soft petals

Surrounding object:

•Large wooden cross with white draped cloth

•Located to the left of the altar

•Stands app. seven feet tall

•Senses:• See light glistening off finished wood• Feel smooth wood and soft cloth

Surrounding Object:

• Chapel was built in 1934

• Its cathedral-like structure has been the site of more than 500 weddings.

• Mural created by Rambusch Co. of New York and Philadelphia

• Has theme of Christ the King and Sisters of Mercy

• Mural displays the connection between the church and the Sisters of Mercy

• The mural has Pope Gregory XVI and Archbishop John Mark Gannon pictured behind the Sisters of Mercy

• The images of the Sister’s represent their mission

• The building in which the chapel resides, Old Main, is said to be haunted

• People attend church and look upon the variety of images for many diff erent reasons. This all goes back to how our past experiences shape our views/opinions of other pieces of art.

Contextual Information

• Have students understand the representation of symbols, such as the several Sister’s of Mercy in the mural and the meaning of each one

• Lesson on respecting all religions and beliefs, gaining an understanding of the views of many other people

• Students can all create a small image and together the class can combine their images, creating one large mural

• Have students create a mural of their own

• Use Clay to shape a statue of something/someone (similar to the activity we did in this class)

• The students could write a story as to what they see when they look at this particular mural

• Students could listen to several different music selections and decide which music fits best with several mural selections

Activities for Classroom

•The three of us all had different connections to the pieces of art. We have different backgrounds and experiences, so we all see something different when looking upon the artwork previously shown. Much like how your view of it is different from that of the person sitting next to you.

Personal Connections

•Why do you think the mural was positioned where it is?

•Would it have a different effect if it were in the back, on a side wall, or the ceiling?

•Does the clarity of the mural affect how you view the story?

•How are the characters portrayed?

•Think about elements connected with artwork (color, texture, lines, shape, spacing, proportions, etc). How are they used in the mural?

•What tools would you need to create a mural high on a wall, or on the ceiling? How would you transition those tools?

•Is there an obvious center character in the mural?

Possible Lines of Inquiry – Key Ideas

•Think about elements connected with artwork (color, texture, lines, shape, spacing, proportions, etc). •How are they used in the mural? • If any of these elements were changed, would the story change? How? •How much of an effect do these elements have on a piece of artwork?

Line of Inquiry

•The activity would need app. one week to complete. The students could spend Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday learning about the main religions. The teacher could have a variety of lessons incorporating all of the important aspects of each religion. On Thursday the students would be broken up into groups and be assigned a particular religion. They could spend that class period learning all about their particular religion. On Friday you could have a jigsaw lesson where the students teach the religions to each other. You could even have a small party where students could come dressed in their religions attire, bring samples of artwork, and even prepare food. Parental involvement would be vital for this activity.

Experiential Activity Ideas

•http://explorepahistory.com/index.php

•http://my.mercyhurst.edu/Visitors/CampusMinistry/Pages/ChapelWeddings.aspx

•http://hauntsandhistory.blogspot.com/2009/07/mercyhursts-spooky-sister.html

References