In 1999, Alyse Anderson, then principal of Herbertsville Elementary, asked a parent to volunteer her time to paint a mural on one of the walls of the library. That parent, Mrs. Judy Harzer, happily accepted the mission and pulled it off beautifully. Dr. Alyse Anderson, who is now our district’s Director of Curriculum, remembers fondly urging Mrs. Harzer to pursue a career in education. Though hesitant, Mrs. Harzer earned her teaching credentials with the promise that she would “try it for one year.”
That was 24 years ago.
Since then, Mrs. Harzer has been a formidable presence in the Brick School District. Now, she’s done it again, hosting the first Mural Tour at Brick Memorial High School. The event, which occurred Tuesday evening, June 13th, was a tremendous success. Guests included teachers, students, alumni, administration, parents, Mayor Lisa Crate, town council members, administrative members from the New Jersey Department of Education, as well as members of Central Administration. Coming from a variety of areas, all guests had one thing in common: being in awe of the work of our students.
According to Mrs. Harzer, “This does not exist anywhere else at the high school level in the state of New Jersey … [mural creation] does not exist as an approved curriculum” in any other schools. It goes without saying that Brick Memorial High School is so grateful to be the first with this course, which provides students with an unending canvas to create their art and then share it with others for years, even decades, to come.
The idea for the Mural Tour came from Mrs. Harzer, who simply wanted to extend an invitation to parents and community members who appreciate beautiful art. It is not enough for the Mustangs to see the work of students; all members of the community, especially the proud parents, should get to see the end result of this amazing class.
Below this article, you will find the Mustang Express Podcast episode where you can hear the voices of many who were at the event.
The BMHS community is thrilled with the event, and we look forward to doing it again next year! One can only imagine what Mrs. Harzer and her students have in store!
