Historical art becomes modern inspiration

Historical art becomes modern inspiration
Christine Witcher, Middle School Faculty

On October 20, 2022, the Forest Ridge Community celebrated the Feast of Mater Admirabilis. This feast day celebrates a fresco of Mary painted by a student of the Sacred Heart in the 1800s. The fresco has been associated with a number of miracles and is particularly special to students of the Sacred Heart, as it represents Mary as if she were a student.

Fifth grade students studied the fresco of Mary in their Creativity Lab class this year. They learned about the symbols in the fresco that represent different attributes. By applying a design thinking process that they learned about in class, they designed six banners to represent attributes of Mary:

  • A spindle to represent her diligence
  • A lily to represent her purity
  • A heart with stars and crown to represent her holiness
  • A stack of books to represent her intellect

The fifth grade class got great joy out of revealing these banners during the celebration of the Feast of Mater. The banners join a collection of banners designed by prior fifth grade classes and will hang in the gym for celebrations for years to come.