February 21, 2008
Some students from the Timber Creek High School Service Learning Academy had the opportunity to join in a collaborative service-learning project with renowned folk artist, Mr. Imagination, at Hannibal Square in Winter Park today. In a collaborative service-learning project with the Golden Rule Foundation, the OCPS Service Learning Program, and Crealde School of Art, Orange County Public Schools students are being given the opportunity to learn and work with the world famous artist.
From the Jeanine Taylor Folk Art web site:
"Gregory Warmack was born the third of nine children in 1948 in the poverty-stricken South Side of Chicago. The love and support of his mother, Margaret, pulled him through the difficult times and encouraged him to be artistic and unique. "I slept under the kitchen table because my bedroom was covered with art", Mr. I explains. As he grew older, rocks, beads, trinkets & found objects would work their way into his masks and jewelry. While selling his jewelry on the street one night, he was shot at point blank range and left to die.
During his slow recuperation in the hospital, Warmack experienced an "out of body" experience that seemed to sail him rapidly over the continent of Africa and Egypt. This powerful imagery led to his recovery and a new dedication to his art.
In the early 1980s, he started using the name "Mr. Imagination", a name that came to define him personally and artistically. Creating magical art out of bottle caps, buttons and a concoction of plaster, Mr. Imagination soon became one of the most famous self-taught artists in the world. His love of community and children is illustrated best in his outdoor installations - grottos, domes, benches, arches, walls. Like a pied piper, Mr. Imagination weaves a trail from his art to the hearts and minds of the viewers."
Recently, Mr. Imagination faced yet another tragedy. While in Orlando to work on this project, his house burned to the ground. He lost much of his artwork and pets, yet returned to Orlando just weeks later to work with students.
Today students had the opportunity to join partners, Crealde School of Art and the Golden Rule Foundation in creating a memory wall outside of the Heritage Center. Students and teachers from the Service Learning Academy brought memorable objects to put into the wall. They included shells, jewelry, keys, eye glasses, pieces of broken china, and tile.
Students also had the opportunity to create bottle cap shakers with Mr. Imagination. Taking wire, beads, bottle caps, and feathers students fashioned the shakers which they were able to bring home. Mr. Imagination allowed the students to explore some of his art that was on display in the Heritage Center. "Colorful, innovative, and fun" were words students used to describe his pieces. One student said that his art gives a whole new meaning to the value of recycling! A cowboy hat made out of bottle caps, masks with paint brush hair, broom handle covered with bottle caps and turned into wands, and swinging children were some of the pieces exhibited. Mr. Imagination encouraged the students to touch and try on the art. Much of his art has movable pieces or moves when touched.
Students from the academy will be creating a memory bench at Timber Creek High School using the mosaic techniques they learned from Mr. Imagination today. They will also be using the techniques in teaching and creating mosaic stepping stones for the new service-learning outdoor classroom that is being build with funding from the Golden Rule Foundation.
Students are going to start a drive to collect bottle caps for Mr. Imagination and begin collecting objects for their own memory bench and stepping stones.
Thank you to Lynn Tomlinson of the Crealde School of Art, Henry Vales of the Golden Rule Foundation, and Florida Learn and Serve for making this service-learning project possible! The unveiling of the wall will take place March 1st from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the Heritage Center in Winter Park.
