MTSU art education students collaborated with fourth- and fifth-grade students from Bradley Academy to design, craft and paint a full classroom mural at Patterson Park Community Center depicting four themes: life skills, sports, arts and community.

The fourth- and fifth-graders’ ideas, as well as their life-sized figures, created the mosaic designs of the mural, called “The Joy of Community.”

The MTSU art education program regularly participates in community art projects such as the Patterson Park mural to help future teachers learn how to teach art to elementary, middle-and high-school students. Getting these skills puts MTSU art education students in great demand when they graduate.

MTSU seniors Cody Langford and Kylie Padgett also discuss how they’ll add their experience to their portfolios, which began with hands-on art projects from their first Introduction to Art Education class.