Rochambeau Middle School Students Take to the Sidewalks at Southbury Green Gazebo with Colored Chalk in Hand to Create Temporary Art on Sidewalk Squares

   Rochambeau Middle School (RMS) students took to the sidewalks at the Southbury Green Gazebo with colored chalk in hand, Saturday, April 9^th to create temporary art on sidewalk squares. 

   Members of the public were treated to spontaneous displays of art drawn by students as well as previously created works exhibited at the sidewalk arts festival. 

   Visitors also enjoyed live entertainment provided by the RMS musical small ensemble group who played inside the gazebo. 

   “The sidewalk arts festival is an opportunity for students to focus on making art and not have to be concerned with it being “refrigerator ready” when it’s done,” said RMS Art teacher, Margaret Murphy.  “I spend a good amount of time working with students discussing the importance of process over product,” she explains.

   Ms. Murphy says everyone recalls the freedom and joy of finger painting when they were young. “By middle school, students are so often frustrated because their art isn’t perfect.  I want them to relax and take pleasure in the process again.”

   The idea for the festival came from RMS Principal, Lauren Robinson who drew inspiration from the sidewalk art scene in the movie “Mary Poppins”.  “I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for our students to display their creativity in a place that could be seen and appreciated by the public,” she said.  “The festival also provides a natural way for our students to interact positively with younger children and adults within the community.” 

    “Since the dawn of man, humans have been communicating with one another through art,” said Region 15, Director of Fine Arts, Jane Sarjeant.  “This expression was a sign of a thoughtful and creative society.” 

    “It is proven that studies of the arts enhance a student’s intellectual and social development,” she said.  “As the pace of our world quickens, the ability to communicate has become increasingly more important.   Events, like the sidewalk arts festival, give students the opportunity to share thoughts with the world around them.”

    Ms. Murphy thanked the RMS Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for their assistance.  If successful, she hopes the festival will become an annual event to raise funds for the arts and PTO.  “The final results will wash away with time, but hopefully, the enjoyment of making art for art’s sake will remain with the students and others who came to share in the experience,” she said.