Weaving a garden

LONDONDERRY — South Londonderry Elementary School hosted its fifth artist in residence, Marcy Schepker, last week, and fourth-grade students all had the chance to participate in creating a large mural with raw, colored fleece that will be hung in the school's main entrance.

Schepker is a tapestry weaver from Harrisville who taught the students how to blend colors on a carding machine, roll wool and make dolls from pipe cleaners and pieces of wool for the mural.

The mural depicts the school's gardens that were also projects of previous artists in residence hosted by the school. The program is funded in part by the New Hampshire Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Parent contributions to the Original Works of Art fundraiser also helped to support this program.

The tapestry will be dedicated at the school's annual art show on May 22 and parents are invited to come and meet Schepker during the evening.

Photos

Marcy Schepker, artist in residence at South Londonderry Elementary School, teaches wool weaving to Kelly Murphy's fourth-grade class. Schepker spent the week with the school's fourth-graders as they created a large mural depicting the school's gardens using colored raw fleece. Staff photo

A detail from the wall mural showing dolls students made representing students playing in the garden. Staff photo

Marcy Schepker, artist in residence at South Londonderry Elementary School, shows students how to use a carding machine for wool. Staff photo

Marcy Schepker, artist in residence at South Londonderry Elementary School, spent a week with fourth-graders creating a wall mural that will be dedicated during the school's annual art show on May 22. Staff photo

South School artist in residence Marcy Schepker explains to fourth-graders the design of the mural they are creating with colored wool. Staff photo