If you haven’t been to our Himmel Park campus lately, you’ve got to stop by to check out our latest mural installation. During our extended summer school art class, Edge art teacher Bonnie Craig (of this fame), Edge math teacher LaGail Pearson (of this fame) and Edge students dreamed up and executed this gorgeous work of art on the wall of LaGail’s classroom. We caught up with Bonnie to ask about her experience creating the mural and how art is making a critical impact at Edge, as well as an update on her lifelong mission to find Bigfoot (spoiler: she may be getting closer).
Tell us about the process of creating the mural.
LaGail, one of our math teachers, talked to me about doing a mural in her classroom. We had funding for it through a fabulous Arizona Commission on the Arts grant, so after we agreed on the design through some rough sketches, I did a little canvas painting to scale for us to use as a reference. After sketching the design on the blank wall of LaGail’s classroom, she and I, along with a small group of students, roughed in the large areas of color. We then gradually added more detail and precision, mixing a wide variety of shades, tints, and hues from the base colors we had. My favorite detail was something most people won’t notice unless they’re looking for it, but the students had the idea to hide their signatures in the leaves of the tree, blending them in nearly seamlessly. Somehow we managed to pull it all off in just four days, so I’m super proud of how we all worked together to take the mural from a dream to reality.
How do you see art impacting Edge students?
Art is obviously an amazing way for people, especially young adults, to express themselves. Edge students have many outlets for personal expression, but art is its own special and universal language that allows them to communicate things that might otherwise stay bottled up. It’s also just fun. After working so hard in their core classes, art class is a place where students can experiment and just enjoy creating, without pressure to turn in a perfect product. It’s all about the journey and the experience and a bright, colorful place in their busy week.
Congrats on your new role at Edge – ELA teacher! What are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to continuing to create and foster a space that feels calm, safe, and inviting for students. These are things I believe are not only conducive, but imperative to learning. I want to continue to bring creativity into my English classes as well, to show students that they don’t have to be boring. English can be an adventure, too!
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Of the many adventures and misadventures I’ve had had over the years, one of the best was the botany and herbalism apprenticeship I did in my twenties. The naturopathic doctor/botany PHD who I studied with was fantastic and hilarious. The best parts were the long days and extended stays in the wilderness, spent finding, identifying, ethically harvesting, and processing native plants. On the night of one such expedition, I went to sleep under the stars in a lovely vine maple thicket where I was visited by a skunk who groomed the top of my head and tried multiple times to get into my sleeping bag with me.
Any progress on finding Bigfoot?
(In case you missed this profile, Bonnie really wants Bigfoot to be real).
As for progress finding Bigfoot, sadly there has been none, although thinking back, maybe there is only one degree of separation between us. Perhaps that long ago skunk was their little woodland friend.
Thanks for making time to chat with us Bonnie! And thank you for bringing beauty and creativity to our school. It’s teachers like you that make Edge a special and safe place to learn.
One of the many great things about Edge is that you can enroll at any point in the school year and still enjoy all the benefits of our tuition-free education, like art classes with Bonnie. Get in touch with us at (520) 881-1389 or visit our enrollment page to get started today.
About Edge
EDGE is a Cognia accredited, tuition-free, charter high school, with two campuses in the greater Tucson area. We provide an alternative to traditional education, meeting the diverse learning and life needs of our students with our blended curriculum and flexible morning or afternoon class schedules. Our high-quality, passionate teachers are dedicated to individualized instruction in our small academic classes. Be you. With us. At Edge.