Board proposes using administration building for student art displays

Township officials are considering whether to turn wall space in Upper Gwynedd’s administration building or meeting rooms into a place the public can come see their own projects.

Commissioners Denise Hull and Liz McNaney have proposed to use the township building as a local art gallery during large township events.

“The school district always has a big art show in the spring, and what they do is get so many selections from each elementary, middle, and the high school, and display them,” said Hull.

“They look great, it’s a very professional thing, and so I thought, ‘What if we did that with our Upper Gwynedd schools?’” she said.

Schools located in Upper Gwynedd that could take part in the art displays could include Pennbrook Middle School and Gwyn Nor, Gwynedd Square, and Corpus Christi elementary schools, and Hull and McNaney said they could ask each school to select art to display during large events, like the annual township carnival every September or Fall Fest in October.

“What if we spoke to the art teachers and said ‘Hey, we’d love to have some of the kids’ artwork at the township building?’” Hull said.

“If we put them on display in conjunction with an event happening, you will get more people to actually come to that event,” she said.

Hull said she, McNaney, and Assistant Manager Alex Kaker had identified several spots in the administration building’s front lobby, vestibule area and meeting rooms that are either empty wall space or decorated with art that has no particular tie to the township.

“It’s just a different way to kind of give it a little facelift, and get more residents to walk in there, and give them more ownership of the township building. It would take away some of the intimidation,” said Hull.

McNaney said, depending on demand, the criteria for acceptable art could also be widened to include paintings or other works produced by seniors in local age-specific communities as well.

“It doesn’t have to be just from students. It could be groups like the Brittany Pointe artists,” she said, referring to the senior living community.

“We could display some of their works too, just to make this building a little bit more friendly. These pictures mean nothing,” she said, pointing to decorative paintings currently on the walls of the board’s meeting room.

Board President Ken Kroberger asked how the specific pieces of art would be chosen, and Hull said her thought would be to ask art teachers from one school at a time to select a certain number of pieces to display, then notify those students that they were chosen for the extra honor, but not to the exclusion of any others.

“My child didn’t have anything at the art show at North Penn, so I heard nothing about the art show, or that some kids had (art) there. Typically, I think, the teachers do try to rotate,” Hull said.

Township Manager Mike Lapinski said he has seen a similar display of resident