Some of the Drury seniors whose art graces the top row of panels on the Cascade building pose in front of their creations.
Event attendees had to go across the street to be able to take a picture of the art-covered building.
Cascade presented art teacher Phoebe Pepper with a check for $1,000 for art supplies.
Suzy Helme, director of Community Events for the city of North Adams, reads some remarks on behalf of Mayor Richard Alcombright, who had a family obligation and couldn't make the ceremony.
Artwork created by four years of Drury High School seniors graces the side of the Cascade School Supplies building on Brown Street in North Adams — including this year's additions on the top row.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — This year, the nearly two dozen Drury High School students who painted panels of artwork to hang on the side of the Cascade School Supplies building had to look up to see their creations.
Way, way up.
In the fourth year that the student artwork has hung on the Brown Street building, the art is on the fourth — and top — floor, topping off the three floors of artwork created by three previous classes of senior art students at Drury.
"We had no idea it would continue year after year after year," said art teacher Phoebe Pepper, who said seniors now actively seek out the class because they know their art will be hung on the building. "[They say], 'I wanna take art because I want to do a window next year.' They look forward to it. The plan all year long.
"They learn and grow and develop new skills."
Among those skills is the task of taking a small photograph of the art they would like to reproduce, creating grids on the photo and on the board and then interpreting how to transfer the art onto the board.
"Going from small to that large is an incredibly difficult skill," Pepper said. "They all mastered it."
As much as it's a win for the students, who worked hard for eight weeks making the panels, it's also a win for Cascade, which agreed to the display four years ago without knowing exactly how it would work out.
"We had no idea the results would be so spectacular," Cascade President Pete Cote said, adding that vendors and customers often stop to admire and comment on the art. "It happens constantly. More and more every year."
Cote said Cascade, which is owned by two Drury High alumni, was happy to provide the space for the display — as well as a check for $1,000 to Drury for art supplies. It's the company's way of giving back to the community and the school district, which does its business with Cascade.
"It really makes our building look fantastic," said Cote, who also thanked Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art for the use of its large crane for getting the art up so high on the building.
But now that the art has reached the top floor of the side of the building that has been used for the display, what does the future hold for these Drury projects? Don't worry, rising seniors: That's something the Cascade people are already thinking about, Cote said as he and a couple other Cascade employees surveyed the building after the small crowd that had gathered for the exhibit unveiling on Monday had dissipated.
"Maybe below the office windows in the front," Cote said.
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Artwork created by four years of Drury High School seniors graces the side of the Cascade School Supplies building on Brown Street in North Adams — including this year's additions on the top row.
