Students paint rainforest mural in classroom
Sage Rogovin, left, and Emilie Hutton in front of the mural Rogovin designed and both girls helped paint.
A rainforest mural is brightening up Spanish class this year in the classroom of Profa (Spanish for teacher) Bostic at New Philadelphia High School.
NPHS junior Sage Rogovin spent more than 125 hours on the project. Rogovin researched, planned, designed and painted the mural with help from her friend Emilie Hutton.
Rogovin came up with the idea when Bostic was moving things away from the large wall in her classroom for a wall repair and repaint.
“Because she was taking everything out anyway, I thought it’d be a good opportunity. I asked her if she wanted me to paint a rainforest,” Rogovin said.
Rogovin went with the South American rainforest scene because the location is a Spanish classroom and the ceilings are really tall. The wall is 30 feet wide and 15 feet high and located on the third floor of New Philadelphia High School.
Another reason for going with the rainforest theme is a special interest of Rogovin.
“I like birds, and I got to paint a bird, actually three birds. I would have put in more birds, but I didn’t have time,” Rogovin said.
She started painting at the end of July and finished in three weeks.
Rogovin’s parents, Josh and Noelle Rogovin, both majored in fine arts in college, so it is no surprise their daughter has inherited some of their talent. Sage Rogovin has been working on art her entire life.
Rogovin and her parents donated the paint. They also donated the use of some of their supplies including ladders, paint trays and drop clothes. She honed her skills on working from a ladder, and getting the paint into the high corners of the room was a challenge.
The project was Rogovin’s first mural, and she put a plan for it together using photos she found during research.
“I was looking at what kind of animals to put in and incorporate with the space that we had,” Rogovin said.
Kip Brady, a chemistry, environmental science and ecology teacher, suggested blue morpho butterflies be added. They live in the rainforest and have an 8-inch wingspan.
The mural adds a personal touch, connecting to Bostic’s own study abroad experience in Ecuador.
“Sage approached me last spring with the idea of doing a mural in our room. Some of the other classrooms have some paintings,” Bostic said. “What I had in mind was maybe a small section by the window, and she blew it out of the waters with a huge, massive mural in the whole back wall of our room.”
A character from a book even has a place in the mural. The Spanish students read a book called “El Capibara con botas,” set in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador.
“There’s a capibara who can’t swim until he has his special boots on, so he makes an appearance in our mural with his special yellow rubber boots,” Bostic said. “All of our students who take Spanish know him and know the story. So it just really adds a special touch for our room. You just walk in and you feel immersed in the Amazon rainforest. I actually did my study abroad in Ecuador and spent time in the rainforest. So it really comes full circle here in our classroom.”
Bostic likes how the mural enhances the classroom, and it’s loved by the students and staff alike.
Mike Johnson, history teacher and football coach, is a fan.
“The mural is amazing. My jaw was on the floor, and I can only imagine that it makes work more fun seeing something so beautiful each day,” Johnson said.
With other smaller murals and paintings in the school, Brady was not prepared for such a large mural, calling it shockingly impressive.
“She didn’t do it for credit or anything. She did it because she wanted to create something beautiful here in the school,” Brady said. “And I think that says a lot about Sage as a person and her talent. It speaks for itself as well. I think that beauty is underappreciated in academic settings. I think the context of the learning environment is underappreciated and probably not given enough consideration.”
Despite finishing the colorful mural, Rogovin usually doesn’t work much in color.
“I like drawing dragons. They’re cool. I like drawing cool stuff,” Rogovin said. She also is involved in cross country and track at school. Her future plans include being a fighter pilot for the Marine Corps.
Hutton likes to do realistic art and has been working more with portraying humans in her work.
“I play guitar in the guitar program, advanced guitar ensemble, and I’ve been in it for two years,” Hutton said. She also enjoys walking. Her future plans include teaching music including guitar or working with animals in veterinary work.
Both girls thought doing the project was fun.
“I think my favorite part is probably the water (below the capibara). If you look closely, there are ripples, and it makes it look like there’s clear water there,” Rogovin said.
They also enjoyed that they were allowed to be creative about incorporating things into the mural.
NPHS art teachers Heather Agar and Stephanie Speedy see the value of having art in the classroom. It elevates the classroom environment, making it more exciting for students to learn. Art also offers open-ended problems to solve.
“There’s not one right way, but you have to come at it from your own personal experience and perspective. It’s a creative outlet, it’s therapeutic, it’s a confidence builder, it keeps kids in school and it helps improve attendance,” Agar said.