Informing through Art: Solar Thermal Mural Unveiling
4/25/2012
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On April 25, 2012, Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) and Conservation Consultants Inc. (CCI) will unveil an educational mural created by The Art Institute of Pittsburgh students at Pittsburgh Phillips School. The mural is designed to inform and educate elementary students, staff, and the community about the new Solar Thermal Domestic Water Panel Project installed on the school’s roof. Funded by a Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) Grant, the mural also demonstrates ways the community can conserve dollars, resources, energy, and the environment through solar thermal technology.
The unveiling of the mural is timed to coincide with Earth Day 2012 on April 25th. The unveiling is open to the public at no charge from 10am to 11am.
“Working with clients on a real-world project has been eye-opening for my students,” said Art Institute Instructor and Pittsburgh ecoartist, Ann Rosenthal. “We are grateful to CCI and PPS for this opportunity which will provide a stand-out piece in the students’ design portfolios.”
Pittsburgh Phillips 4th grade students also contributed to the mural by creating drawings for two panels at each end of the mural emphasizing actions everyone can take to conserve energy and water. The drawings resulted from a workshop led by The Art Institute of Pittsburgh students under the direction of Rosenthal and Indigo Raffel, Educational Coordinator for CCI. The 4th grade students are taught by art teachers Ms. Sigal, Ms. Reubi and Mr. Synder.
“The design of the Phillips mural is lively and playful, in keeping with a young audience,” Raffel said. “The murals on the three buildings will educate students and the community alike on the benefits of Solar Thermal Energy and the environmental forward thinking of Pittsburgh Public Schools.”
Window murals and informational panels, geared toward an adult audience, are also being installed in the glass entryways of PPS Facilities/Service Center on 13th and Muriel and the Central Food Kitchen facility on 13th Street, where solar thermal projects are also installed.
“The solar thermal panels on all three sites have been up and running since the end of 2011. They are already saving energy and dollars on the School District’s utility bills, and we expect savings of up to $3,400 per year,” Raffel said.
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh is one of The Art Institutes (http://www.artinstitutes.edu/), a system of more than 45 schools located throughout North America. The Art Institutes schools provide an important source for design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University. See aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info.