| April 20, 2005
Students Bring Undersea World to Coffee
Shop Wall
By Sharon Heilbrunn
DEL MAR – Visitors to Java Kai in Del Mar
may notice a new piece of artwork in the Hawaiian coffee shop.
Students from Del Mar Heights Elementary School
teamed up with local artist Betsy Schulz to create the mural, which
is more than 10 feet high and 6 feet wide.
Schulz, who is the school's artist-in-residence,
is well known in the community for her work with Pat Welsh on the
art wall in front of the Del Mar branch library.
She decided to involve the students in this project
after Java Kai owner Vincent Martinelli asked her to design a piece
of art for the shop.
"I wanted to come up with something that
people in Del Mar would love," Martinelli said, "something
that would be interesting to young and old."
After putting most of the pieces together in her
studio, Schulz helped first-graders make tiles for the mosaic, introducing
them to working with clay, glazing and firing. Later, fourth-and
fifth-graders grouted the mural.
"When I do these projects, I always involve
the community in some way, or the schools," Schulz said. "Even
if the kids aren't particularly artistic, they get so into it whenever
I have them work on tile projects."
The artwork tied into the students' recent science
curriculum, which focused on the ocean and marine life.
The mural, which took about four months to complete,
is a blending of Hawaiian sea life and inspirational words. Phrases
such as "become anything" and "changing the world"
are etched into the tiles. It includes artifacts gathered locally,
such as shells and metal, as well as the tiles made by first-graders.
"When we were working on it, it was all messy
because we were putting the cement in, so it was hard to tell what
it was going to look like in the end," said Taylor Hackbart,
a fourth-grader at Del Mar Heights.
Schulz took the students through all the steps
of her job during this project-based learning experience.
They learned how an artist must use math to determine
the square footage and space for the artwork and the importance
of client interaction and relating ideas through drawings and research.
"Betsy works with the students to (help them)
understand how her education has allowed her to be a creative artist,"
said Del Mar Heights Principal Wendy Wardlow. "It's a very
authentic experience."
Helping Schulz in the classroom were Barbara Hume,
her assistant, extended studies teacher Pamela Martin and half a
dozen parents.
"As a public school, we are fortunate to
have the resource to offer this type of extended learning experience,"
Martin said.
The project allowed students to feel more connected
to their surroundings, Schulz said.
"It makes them aware of their community and
how they can enhance it and use art to make it more interesting,"
she said. "Also, it's hands-on. It gives them such a sense
of pride."
Working on the mosaic helped prepare students
for a full-school mural that they will begin working on at the end
of this school year. The mural is a seven year project that involves
all students at Del Mar Heights.
"It gave me an opportunity to show them a
finished piece and give them an understanding of what they are going
to be making," Schulz said.
Java Kai is at 1555 Camino del Mar, Suite 118.
"When I was doing the mural, I was
happy it was going to be at Java Kai," said Taylor. "I
like their ice cream."
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