Sweet sounds of music will be coming to an outdoor space at Ogden Elementary, thanks to a grant from the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation Deihl Community Arts Grant Fund.
On Wednesday the Manhattan-Ogden School Board gave final approval for the $35,000 outdoor public art proposal. Board member Jayme Morris-Hardeman was ecstatic for the project.
“This is the coolest project ever. So if you haven’t read about this yet, you need to. It’s an outdoor music garden, with music equipment like what they have at the Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka. They’re putting a mural on the wall and they’re looking for people to paint the mural. I cannot wait for this project. I’m going to go play with the equipment,” she said.
Instruments will be ordered from UK based, Percussion Play Outdoor Musical Instruments, and are made to order for specific projects. A call for artists should be put out soon for a mural to be painted on the wall behind where these instruments will be installed. Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid says he’s hopeful this is only the tip of the iceberg.
“This will be the first of hopefully many proposals coming up focusing on outdoor public art options that our students and community can enjoy, starting with Ogden,” he said.
The mural theme will be centered around the idea of a garden and community.