Every year, the outgoing fifth-grade class at Bird Rock Elementary creates a work of art to donate to the school. Every year, the projects are unique, and year after year, former students come back to see that their past creations are still standing. This year, local artist Shannon Cunningham took on the responsibility of being in charge of the art project — an opportunity she jumped at, given her profession as a clay artist. So last fall, Cunningham, the mother of a fifth-grade student, took a walk around the campus with kindergarten teacher Lorene LaCava to scout locations for this year’s installment. Deciding that there was a lack of color on an outside wall between two bathrooms, they settled on a spot and Cunningham went to work devising ideas for the project. “I came up with about six different options, which I brought to the fifth-grade committee,” she said. “They all liked the idea of a tree mosaic, which was, of course, the most labor intensive. But I was really excited to do it.” In January, with the plans for the project laid, Cunningham invited all the fifth-grade classes to her home studio — a short walk from the school. In her studio were a kiln and art supplies, and she and 93 children spent a day making thousands of tiles. “We had quite an experience — it was really a fun day,” she said. “It was kind of a ‘clay-palooza,’ making all the bark, leaves, birds and grass for the piece. I really wanted the kids to make things, because sometimes you get only the adults making these projects. I wanted the kids to be a part of it.” After that, Cunningham started the process of cleaning and firing all the tiles individually. On one day, she invited all the parents over to glaze them. When the final touches were made, she asked artist Jane Wheeler to help her install it. “It really turned out so much better than I thought it would,” she said. “I wanted it to look kind of alive, almost organic. I picked out the colors, but I didn’t control how the parents glazed, and because some glazed heavier than others, it made for darker and lighter colors. I also didn’t control how the kids put their names on [the leaves]. I wanted it to be their mark.” The effort, Cunningham said, was truly a community event. LaCava conceived of the original idea, which Cunningham fine-tuned. The entire class was involved in the execution, and the result, she said, couldn’t have been better. “For me, it was really exciting to see I could have this vision and execute it, and I was happy with the results,” she said. “Every time you do a project like that as an artist, you grow and learn, especially if it’s a challenge. It was great for everybody involved. The kids, and maybe even some of the parents, have probably never made anything like this before.” The best part, Cunningham said, was the feeling of accomplishment at the end. There’s nothing like an enthusiastic group of children, she said, to make you feel special. “Installing a piece of art at a school is the best, because you’re like a rock star,” she said. “Kids would come back on a daily basis to check on things. And it wasn’t just the fifth graders, it was the whole school. The would ooh and ahh — it was the greatest experience. You could put up anything at a school and they’re excited. Plus, it’s a special thing for kids to come back as adults and see. We have so much public art at our school, we really hope people in the neighborhood come to the [60th birthday] party to see it.”