Artists loan time and skills to create murals at church
Young students at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church in Lewes stopped in amazement when looking at new murals added this summer. On Sept. 19, the church opened its doors to welcome children back, and to their surprise, two large paintings were revealed. These works of art were brought to the church by artists Karen Kouneski and Susan Short.
Along with COVID came an overwhelming sense of loneliness for many, so it made sense for church members to be welcomed back to normality with something new. Michael McShane, director of religious education, had a vision and brought it to life. McShane was preparing for children to return when he realized something had to change. With this, he took a look around the room and had the idea to get a few artists to submit their work, hoping to find someone talented enough to paint the entire classroom wall. To his surprise, multiple artists submitted impressive work, and two were chosen to create murals.
Visitors are immediately greeted by a large, detailed painting. Ultimately, the true meaning of “Let the children come to me” by Susan Short is revealed. The mural is so detailed and carefully articulated that the image pulls in the viewer. This was observed the first day children saw the art. McShane says the children, and even adults, are pulled into the large and welcoming picture. Not only is the mural an effective addition in the eyes of the children, but also the adults who often are in the building. As McShane said, “We are all children of God.” No matter someone’s age, they are ultimately all children of God, which also makes adults feel as if the painting is a piece to welcome them and to let faith guide them.
As if second-graders weren’t surprised enough by the first mural, they stepped into their classroom to see yet another, and even larger, painting. This painting by Kouneski represents the first communion and fits the objectives of structure based on what the children typically learn within that grade level. This piece creates an environment for the kids, allowing them to be able to reference something in the classroom to help them learn better. Additionally, the painting is so long, in a way, it makes people feel as if they are present in the moment of what they are observing. This is fundamental to be able to connect art and education to better understanding, and to feel more interactive, McShane said.
McShane said he feels very fortunate to have found multiple artists to bring life into the church, while dedicating their time and talent as well. With education methods changing as the future progresses, it is important to keep children engaged, he said. Change was needed, and McShane acted on it. Not only did the murals offer change, they also brought on changes to music and literature. Something new is always a great way to occupy people’s brains and keep them entertained, McShane said, making all susceptible to more knowledge and curiosity, which is exactly what these murals did for the children.
The murals were such a success that McShane is starting to think about what can be added next. Potential exists in many classrooms where it would be easy to put art on the walls; however, McShane does not feel a need to rush the process. Strategizing where paintings should go and what they contain is very important since this is something that can offer better understanding to people, he said.
