Art teacher celebrated for her mural by the DIA, UCS and Utica

Downtown Utica patrons can sit back and look at the flowers thanks to the mural, featuring a blooming floral arrangement, created by Davis Junior High School Art Teacher, Gail Borowski.

Painted on the side of the Utica Fire Department, the mural is a sign of community collaboration through the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).

Charles Garling, Director of Studio Programs at the DIA, explained the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the mural was a means of celebrating art and bringing people together.

“Public woks of art, like this collaborative mural, stand as a testament to the unique stories of each community and what we can achieve together,” said Garling.

UCS Superintendent, Robert Monroe, further emphasized the importance of this partnership between the organizations involved with the mural, while also highlighting the opportunity this mural now brings to the community.

“This is absolutely phenomenal,” Monroe said. “Can you think for a moment, how inspiring a teacher that is doing this type of work can be in the classroom for students?”

Borowski’s mural was made possible through the Partners in Public Art program, a DIA initiative aimed at fostering collaboration to strengthen the sense of community through art.

“In the background of a strong community is a strong school district, and UCS is very strong,” Monroe said. “We will be stronger in the future to be able to support initiatives like this going forward.”

Borowski was assisted in her painting by DIA Studio Artist, Stephanie Sucaet-Felczak, yet it took a supportive team to make the project come to life.

“I just want to say ‘thank you so much’ to you all,” Borowski said. “When you take a leap of faith like that, it takes a whole community to catch you, and that’s exactly what you did."

Source: Utica Community Schools

Robert Monroe, Superintendent of Schools

Http://www.uticak12.org