Mundelein elementary school student artists have new gallery,Studio 75

There is a new addition to the Mundelein art scene, thanks to the hard work and talent of Mundelein Elementary District 75 students and staff.

Studio 75 is the name given to the newly renovated student art gallery and professional development center in the district's administrative offices, 470 N. Lake St., Mundelein.

More than 75 students, parents, teachers and community members were on hand for the March 2 grand opening, which featured two dozen student-created paintings, wall-hangings and sculptures, all framed and illuminated with spotlights in the new multipurpose space.

Each month, the district will showcase a new selection of student art and ensure the approximately 1,600 elementary-level students attending Washington, Mechanics Grove and Carl Sandburg schools will have an opportunity to show off their talents.

Community members are encouraged to visit Studio 75 during the district's school board meetings, which are generally held the first and third Mondays of each month. Thanks to Studio 75's large windows and gallery-style lighting, people passing by the district offices along Lake Street will also be able to enjoy much of the artwork.

While the focus of Studio 75 is squarely on the students, the story of how the gallery came to be involves the extra effort of dozens of the district's teachers, maintenance specialists and contributors.

District 75's staff members came up with the plan to turn what was previously a dusty, dark and underutilized area into a versatile gathering space. During winter break, the district's maintenance team moved partitions, pulled up old carpeting, replaced ceiling tiles, installed decorative molding, painted walls, and installed modern, high-efficiency lighting.

The result is a space large enough to host school board meetings, parent/teacher organization gatherings, and teacher curriculum development committees - as well as showcase a selection of student masterpieces.

"Though it doesn't look like it, we did this project very inexpensively," Superintendent Andrew "Andy" Henrikson said. "We are very fortunate to have some very talented maintenance staffers."

He also noted most of the work involved donated materials.

"We are grateful to the groups and individuals whose assistance made it possible to keep the remodeling costs to a low $6 per square foot," Henrikson said. "The District 75 PTO donated the spotlights for the framed student art, USG Corporation donated the ceiling tile, and our talented maintenance staff did all of the remodeling."

He said the district estimates it saved more than $40,000 because all of the work was done in-house. The total cost for the project was approximately $14,500.

Instrumental to the project was Carl Sandburg art teacher Lilly Fischer, who, with the collaboration of Lisa Shirley, Jennifer Savone and the rest of the district's art teachers, designed the Studio 75 interior. Their goal was to not only make a usable, welcoming large-group work space, but also to showcase all of the student art projects.

"We wanted to be able to switch out the art of the students on a regular basis," Fischer said. The group was going for "sort of a museum look," which is why the design team installed picture molding that allows artwork to be hung by cords and slid along the walls to accommodate various exhibits.

The group's "sophisticated style on a shoestring budget" continued even to the plan for framing the ever-changing selection of student artwork.

"In order to continue the idea of a museum look, I suggested going to places like Salvation Army and Goodwill and picking up interesting frames throughout the summer and school year," Fischer said. All of the frames were painted black for a consistent look.

On the construction side, District 75 Operations Manager Robert Tropple oversaw the project's completion with the help of staff craftsmen and crew members Tim Meister, Dave Zaremba, Chris Buck, Roberto Mata, Christos Voloskos and Zing Chen.

"Rob, Tim, Dave and Chris are all highly skilled tradesmen, and we are fortunate to have them on staff," said Henrikson, who expressed thanks to the entire team for their efforts.

More information about Studio 75 and Mundelein School District 75 can be found on the district's website, www.d75.lake.k12.il.us.