January 2006

Johnstown High School Students Complete Community Art Mural
Johnstown High School students are taking the beautification of the City of Johnstown into their own hands — literally. Approximately 10 advanced art students, along with High School art teacher Kathryn Zajicek and Barney’s Sign Shop owner Paul Lakata, have been working on a community art mural for the past two months.

The eight-foot-by-20-foot mural depicts a montage of various Johnstown historical images that will be displayed downtown on the building next to Stewart’s on the corner of Main and Perry streets.

Students started the project on Oct. 16 and continued working on it for 10 sessions in Lakata’s studio every Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon until it was completed on Jan. 8.

The art students involved were Chariesse Arrunategui, Jenna Beatty, Courtney Bougafa, Chris Bryan, Billy Ford, Kate Holland, Vicki Julius, Jackie Papa, Maria Simone and Andrew Lakata.

“The process of creating the mural was an experience,” said Zajicek. “We talked about all of the historical stories that make up Johnstown.” After researching and collecting information, students started sketching, stenciling and under-painting to prepare for the mural. “Students were surprised at what they could actually do with the mural and how quickly it developed,” said Zajicek.

“I enjoyed viewing the weekly progression—from the sketch and small photos to the mural-size enlargements of each image,” said Chris Bryan, a Johnstown High School senior.

Students not only learned about different art methods and mediums on a large-scale, they also delved into the history of Johnstown. “Some students didn’t even really know about Knox Gelatin,” said Zajicek. “They thought it was interesting when they found out why the colors of Knox Junior High School are orange and black—could it be because of Knox Gelatin packaging?”

The mural is created on a special plywood signboard that is sealed and will be able to stand up to the harsh weather elements when brought outside.

Some of the images on the mural include Sir William Johnson, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rose Knox, Johnstown Court House, St. John’s Church, Johnson Hall, F, J & G Railroad, Knox Gelatin and images of the glove industry.

“I like knowing that when I come back and look at the mural, that I was a part of it,” said Johnstown High School senior Courtney Bougafa.

“In the future, we would love to create more historical artwork within the community,” said Zajicek. “In order to do this, we need to investigate ways of obtaining grants or other sources of funding.”

Although the mural is complete, the unveiling will not be until early spring. In the meantime, the mural will be displayed, for a two-week period at the end of January, in Johnstown High School’s library media center.

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