LINCOLNVILLE ARTIST RANDY FEIN puts the finishing touches on a mural celebrating the art and writing of Robert P.T. Coffin while her fellow artists and collaborators look on.
On May 31 from 6-7 p.m., Coffin Elementary School in Brunswick, located at 20 Barrows Street, will commemorate its 60th anniversary. This community gathering is open to the public and will feature multiple celebrations throughout the school, including birthday cake, an art show, a historical Powerpoint presentation and children’s activities.
The student art show, curated by Coffin art teacher Amy Crosby, will feature at least one piece by each Coffin student and will hang throughout the school hallways and lobby. Additionally, three brand-new murals in the lobby at Coffin will be unveiled during the celebration. The murals represent a year-long collaboration between Coffin Elementary staff, the Coffin Identity Committee, Arts Are Elementary and Lincolnville artist Randy Fein. The murals celebrate the art and writing of Robert P.T. Coffin — for whom the school is named — and every student at Coffin participated in their creation.
Arts Are Elementary collaborated on the mural project in part to mark its 35th year of partnership with Brunswick’s elementary schools. Arts Are Elementary is a local nonprofit that provides a curriculum-based professional artist residency for every K-5 classroom in Brunswick.
The celebration will also laud Coffin Elementary’s past through a historical power point and a memory wall. Viewers will be encouraged to relive Coffin’s past and to note their Coffin-related memories for future generations. Present Coffin students will enjoy the “Baxter Buddies” slideshow featuring snapshots from more recent Coffin history.
Coffin Elementary School will also unveil its new Little Free Library, a children’s book exchange aimed at promoting a love of reading among the greater Coffin community. The Little Free Library will be located in the front garden and children will be able to take and leave books throughout the school year and summer.
The Little Free Library was constructed by the Building Trade students at Region 10 Technical High School, and is one of over 36,000 such book exchanges around the world.
For more information on Coffin, contact Steve Ciembroniewicz at (207) 319-1950, or visit the Coffin Elementary website at brunswick.k12.me.us/cof/. For more information on Arts are Elementary, contact Kristi Hatrick by phone at (207) 725-1232, email at aaedirector@gmail.com, or visit artsareelementary.org.
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