William McKinley Elementary School revealed the results of the McKinley Museum Project at a school Art Expo on Friday, April 8. Winners and participants of McKinley PTA’s annual Reflections arts contest were also celebrated.
The McKinley Museum Project displays 30 framed prints of great works of art, donated by local museums, installed along the hallways of the school. The frames were custom built by John Burroughs High School students, including several McKinley Elementary alumni.
The project was funded by a grant from Burbank Arts for All Foundation (BAFA), in addition to donations from the PTA and the school. Local museums including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Huntington, among others, donated prints of famous great works of art, including works by Edgar Degas, Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dali and Henri Matisse, among others.
“The goal of this project is to create a common cultural language in our Title I school,” explained McKinley PTA Executive Vice President Colleen Elkins. “Despite differences in backgrounds, socio-economic situations and languages, this will create a common bond and reference point for the students.”
Elkins sees the framed artworks as a resource for the school’s teachers, “allowing them to reference the works during history lessons, cultural lessons and more.”
“This project achieves the goal of enriching our students and advancing their artistic education without the extra burden of programs or classroom time,”she added. “By continuing to live with these masterpieces, the students can develop an understating and relationship with actual works of art.”
McKinley students will be able to “discover and search for the real paintings and encourage their individual pursuit of culture,” she also said.
“This endeavor develops an arts rich environment on the McKinley campus that enriches students, inspires creativity and supports students in connecting classroom lessons to the world around them.”
