Mural's fate stirs
East Mills debate
East Mills
Elementary School in
Hastings
Mike Peterson/KMA
News
Nishna Valley school
mural at East Mills
Elementary School in
Hastings.
Mike Peterson/KMA
News
A big crowd gathered
inside East Mills
Elementary School's
media center to hear
discussion
(Hastings) -- Plans
to eliminate a
historic school
artifact has
generated
controversy in the
East Mills School
District.
By unanimous vote
Monday evening, the
East Mills School
Board tabled a
decision on whether
to paint over a
mural depicting the
formation of the
former Nishna Valley
School District.
Located near the
front of East Mills
Elementary
School--the former
Nishna Valley High
School in
Hastings--the mural
depicts the
consolidation of the
old Hastings,
Emerson, Henderson
and Strahan
districts into one
decades ago. Nishna
Valley merged with
Malvern to form East
Mills beginning in
the 2011-12 school
year, following
voters' approval of
a reorganization a
year earlier, and at
least three years of
whole grade sharing
before that. Rich
Erb is a Nishna
Valley graduate, and
son of the late
Richard Erb, one of
two people who
painted the mural.
Erb says painting
over the mural would
erase a piece of
history.
"It's art," said
Rich Erb. "It shows
how the four towns
came together as
one, and nobody had
anything bad to say
about anybody in the
other towns. We all
blended well. We
left that on the
wall as a
representation so
that we wouldn't
forget where we came
from.
"Nishna Valley has
now become East
Mills--which is
great. But don't get
rid of your history,
don't forget about
where you came from,
don't get rid of
your art."
Attorney Raymond
Aranza of Hamburg
questioned the
legality of
eliminating the
mural under the
Visual Arts Rights
Act of 1990--or VARA--which
protects artwork
meeting certain
criteria.
"This school board,
this district really
can't do anything to
that art," said
Aranza. "They can't
destroy it, they
can't paint over it.
They really can't do
anything without
permission of the
artist. I know one
of the artists has
passed away, but I
know one of the
artists is still
alive. I just remind
the board that if
they decide to paint
over it, or do
anything, they have
to look at what the
consequences could
be."
Joy Teas of
Henderson retired as
an East Mills art
instructor last
year. A former
student of Richard
Erb, Teas is the
mural's other
creator. Teas says
the outrage over the
mural's proposed
demise reflects the
passion Nishna
Valley graduates had
toward Erb, and
their school.
"The passion over
the mural is a
representation of
how education and
educators impact
lives, loyalty and
commitment in the
district," said
Teas. "As the time
has passed, these
communities still
care. Tonight could
be when you say your
past doesn't need to
be covered, but
could be a model of
how to move
forward."
Other speakers
suggested the
district's problems
were deeper than
brick and mortar.
Trisha Glockel is
president of the
East Mills Booster
Club. Glockel says
recent East Mills
graduates have been
deprived of the
passion that Nishna
Valley and Malvern
students feel for
their former
districts. Glockel
says students have
the right to
cultivate their own
history.
"These alumni feel
very strong," said
Glockel, "their
communities feel
very strong, and the
students sometimes
feel as if they have
to pick a side.
That's a very
horrible position to
put these kids.
These kids deserve
the opportunity to
create their own
history, and have
that reflected in
that school, so that
they feel ownership
in that school."
Other speakers
suggested painting
an East Mills
Wolverine logo
either over the
Blackhawk Indian in
the mural, or next
to it.
After more than 40
minutes of
discussion--often
emotional at times,
East Mills
Superintendent Paul
Croghan recommended
the board table the
issue so that the
district's attorney
could clarify the
VARA Act, Croghan
says the board had
three options:
either paint over
the mural, modify it
or leave it as is.
Whatever it decides,
Croghan says the
public must
understand why
removing the mural
was proposed in the
first place.
"I think there was a
comment tonight that
it's the adults who
need to think about
this," said Croghan,
"because the kids
don't know any
different. It's the
adults that have to
understand they're
educating their kids
with their actions.
Can I control
adults? No, but
people are asking
us, parents and the
community are asking
us to teach our kids
in a certain way, in
a positive manner."
More discussion is
expected at the
board's next regular
meeting August 13th
at 6:30 p.m. at the
East Mills
Junior/Senior High
School's media
center.
Mike Peterson
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