For the Republican
Benjamin Rush Middle School is creating a cultural exhibit featuring a variety of traditional works of art by Rush County artisans.
Carolyn Rushton of Glenwood pyro-engraved scenes on a kettle gourd and donated it to BRMS for this exhibit. This beautiful work of artistry features detailed scenes of Rush County’s Kennedy covered bridges, as well as wildlife, plants, and trees native to Rush County. She worked more than 70 hours in the creation of this piece.
As a pyrographic artist, Rushton has been creating gourd art for 17 years and is renowned throughout the country.
Photos of her work have been published in nine editions of gourd-art books, as well as in books published in Australia and Canada.
She has been featured on Across Indiana on WFYI television; she also has appeared on Carol Duvall of Home and Garden Television in a segment filmed at the Ohio State Gourd Show. She has presented programs for many local organizations and has taught her craft by special appointment in Berkley, Calif.
Her works are displayed in homes and businesses on every continent except Antarctica.
Rushton has earned numerous awards for her pyro-engraving throughout the country. Most notably, she was awarded Best of Show in three state competitions, making her the first Triple Crown winner for her craft.
The BRMS exhibit is a continuation of a project designed to expand artistic experiences for BRMS students.
With a grant from the Rush County Community Foundation Education Fund in 2008, six sculptures were purchased and placed in the media center.
A 2008 Picturing America grant provided BRMS with 20 prints of masterpieces of American art.
By displaying objects of visual art at BRMS, educators can bring the art experience to students by providing accessibility of art objects to students in the school setting and create a more stimulating, creative, imaginative, interesting, and beautiful learning environment.
