Albert Lacombe school is as pretty as a picture these days, or hundreds of pictures, depending on how you look at it.
The Catholic elementary reveled in the unveiling of a celebratory mural on Thursday with the help of Phil Alain and Julie Kaldenhoven. The weeks-in-the-making painting was just one part of the school’s 50th anniversary festivities.
“They’ve lent us their artistic talents… to give our mural a very community-minded feel, and a connection to the past and the present – and to the future too,” said principal Joan Tod.
The mural features hundreds of smaller square tiles that were each individually painted by students, teachers, trustees and others. Each tile features a unique image but once all are arranged, they become a grander composition that shows a smiling Albert Lacombe and two children.
Other artists who were involved in the mural included Lewis Lavoie and Denise Lefebvre.
Alain, an Albert Lacombe alumnus, said that the most shocking part of the whole endeavour to him was that it was the school’s 50th anniversary.
“That means that I went to school here 40 years ago. I was your age 40 years ago sitting in that spot,” he jested, pointing to the assembly of approximately 200 students in the gymnasium. “That’s really weird for me. One thing I can tell you is that as you get older, your school shrinks in size. It’s just bizarre!”
He praised the students for their spirit and their creativity. In turn, some children thanked him and the other artist leaders for the experience: one for how they helped her to unleash her “inner artist” while another was grateful for how they helped him to fulfill a “lifelong dream” to be an artist.
During the same ceremony, the school compiled items from each class to go into a time capsule. One by one, they put things like a school T-shirt, a map, samples of their writing and schoolwork, letters to future students, and even a recent copy of the Gazette. The time capsule is set to be reopened in the year 2040.
The mural is set to be installed on the outside wall of the school after the weekend.
