Public Art Turtle Bench for the Community

A new public art piece is being created for the Diamondhead Education Center Outdoor Classroom in Burnsville. Through a residency supported by the M.W. Savage Elementary School PTO and lead by community artist Anne Krocak, fourth grade students designed and made mosaic tiles which will be embedded in the shell of the turtle. During this process students also learned about collaboration, the field of public art, art history, community service, and art critique.

The Turtle Bench will be an eight-foot-by-seven-foot structure about five feet high. It will be embedded with a series of specially designed art mosaic and ceramic tile pieces. Krocak is working in collaboration with School District 191 Community Education to create the public art project.

Fourth grade mosaic art: M.W. Savage
Elementary School fourth-graders created
mosaics to contribute to a community turtle
bench to be completed this fall. The bench will be
at Diamondhead Education Center in Burnsville.

Throughout the next three months, classes and construction opportunities will be held for community members as well as through community education programs such as Project KIDS preschool and school age programs, The Edge, The Gifted and Talented Institute, Tiny Tots, Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL), and the Burnsville Senior Center.