Bored over the summer with nothing interesting to do? Rolla has a few places you can just go and see when walking around or when you’re about to enjoy a meal. The Center and our very own art gallery here in RHS are just a few walk-abouts apart.
Have you seen the artwork in the display cases or out and about at The Center and wondered how they got there? Art teacher Bennett Zink surely can help with that itching question.
“In October, there is an Arts Rolla Center Art Show for the high schools in the surrounding area. Teachers can submit students’ work to be displayed and be part of the contest. A lot of times, I see students underprice their work; handmade items took a lot more time and care so should be priced at a higher cost,” Zink said.
Wandering around the halls of school, and seeing a flash of color from the corner of your eyes—that very artwork you see, the spiraling staircase with an abundance of color, is sophomore Audrey Weaver’s.
“At first, I wanted to do a three or five-point perspective, but I saw some very interesting pictures of stairs in extreme perspectives and wanted to try something similar. I wanted to contrast the rigidness of metal and architecture with bright and messy colors. Initially, I was going to outline it in ink, but eventually, I decided I preferred it with just color, because it made the stairs look like they were unbound or leaking,” Weaver said.
Sirloin Stockade’s retaining wall holds the newly-made Route 66 Centennial Mural Project. It is now all dolled up, so make sure to stop by to see it, like art teacher Danielle Vogel did.
“I stopped by to see the mural and ran into one of the artists, Mary Oliver Hall. She was adding finishing touches to her postcard, ‘California’. In the bottom right corner, the text says, ‘The Mother Road’. Steinbeck referred to Route 66 in his novel ‘The Grapes of Wrath’. It was the lifeline and road to opportunity for many
immigrants during the Dust Bowl. It was a community effort with Kevin from Sirloin Stockade to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Route 66,” Vogel said.
Day and night, the Route 66 Centennial Mural can even be seen from afar, courtesy of the dazzling lights from the interstate.
“The most surprising part of the mural for me was the 57’ Chevy on the side! It’s wired to the streetlight, and the headlights apparently come on at night. I haven’t seen this at night yet, but I will definitely be going by to check it out. I also am always inspired by big community undertakings where people pitch in, come together to make something happen and support the artists in this community,” Vogel said.
