They picked up their brushes and paints and transformed their school into a world-class art gallery. Alekos Fassianos’s *The Blue Birds*, Pablo Picasso’s «The Boy with the Dove,» and 18 other well-known works of art by Greek and foreign artists—which six students painted on the doors of the classrooms— transformed the appearance of the 9th Junior High School of Kalamaria in a unique and elegant way.
The paintings that adorn the entrances to the classrooms and «transport» students into the world of art are the result of the innovative project «A Door to Art,» which was carried out with the help of the students by the well-known artist Kostas Koutroumpis, who teaches at this school.
Anthi, a 9th-grade student who participated in the project, speaking to the Athenian/Macedonian News Agency, said she wants to pursue a career in painting and noted: ’I love painting, and it was a great joy to participate in the program. I painted Nikiforos Lytras’s work «The Easter Egg.“ Although it was difficult to complete, since it has so many details and took me almost a year, I really enjoyed the process. It was a special experience because, even though I paint, this was the first time I had painted such a large-scale work.”.
«It was a very creative process. We needed to work as a team and collaborate with one another. I painted Giorgos Sikelotis’s painting *“Kallanta”* together with a classmate of mine. Mixing the colors was quite difficult for me, but my teacher helped me a lot, and I was able to finish it,» explained Nikos, a ninth-grade student.
«The proposal to create paintings at the entrances to the classrooms under my guidance came from the school’s former principal, Ms. Kousidou,» explains Kostas Koutroumpis, noting that «in the program, which we called “A Door to Art,” my role was one of guidance and training, with minimal intervention so as not to limit the students» creativity and self-expression.”.
This project took four years to complete, and as Mr. Koutroumpis notes, there are 21 works in total, and the artists were selected based on the works they have created, with those chosen being the ones whose themes best align with the school’s aesthetic.
«Each year, we had 32 hours to complete the selected projects. Over the course of the program’s four years, the students transformed 21 doors into works of art. Each project presented its own challenges, as it was a completely new experience for the children—especially given the size of the projects and their first-time exposure to the materials used,» he explains.
This year, artist Kostas Koutroumpis, who is widely known for his works depicting the urban landscape of Thessaloniki, is marking 30 years in education, and this is his final year as an art teacher. As he himself points out, «Teaching is a two-way process, and I will especially miss what I learned each year from the children—through their unique personalities, their boundless imagination and creativity, and, of course, their curiosity about art—and about life.».
Alexandra Hatzigeorgiou
