Barrington District 220 to unveil new student-made mural

When school resumes in Barrington Unit District 220 later this month, a new piece of artwork created by thousands of the district's elementary students will be prominently displayed in the James Street Administrative Center.

Last spring, art teachers from the district's eight elementary schools organized nearly 3,400 students to create a one-of-a-kind tile mosaic for the administrative center lobby.

Installed earlier this summer, the wall-mounted work covers 28 square feet and features 288 individual ceramic tiles that were handcrafted, colored and kiln-fired. Every Barrington 220 student in grades 1 through 5 contributed to the unique project.

"We were thinking of a way each student in the elementary schools could be represented in the mural," said art teacher Kathy Martin. "We liked the idea of each student making their mark on District 220."

The outline of the mosaic approximates the district's geographic boundaries, with larger red tiles representing the location of the 12 schools including the high school, two middle schools, eight elementary schools and the Early Learning Center.

Art teachers believe the colorful mosaic symbolizes how students and the school district shape and define each other. The meaning behind the mural is that educators meet the needs of each student while students, through their individuality, make District 220 a distinctive school system.

District 220 is inviting the community to a Tuesday, Sept. 28 open house and reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the James Street Administrative Center, where students and teachers who contributed to the mosaic will be acknowledged along with many others whose artwork is on display throughout the building.