The Dragon Family
A full view of The Dragon Family mosaic, reflected in the polished floor. © Dave Chance Photography
Before I started my work on this project, I visited the school to meet with a leadership council comprising a small group of smart, thoughtful and articulate students. I told them about the project and they told me about the design. They wanted a dragon, the Camp Allen mascot.
I was not particularly keen on the idea at first. Every school has a mascot, a logo, a cartoon creature to rally the sports teams. I imagined the artwork to be something more “serious” than a mascot. The kids however made it clear to me why the artwork absolutely had to be a dragon.
The students told me what they saw in the dragon and what they saw in themselves: strength, courage, resolve, and fierceness. The dragon was a symbol, a powerful representation of them and their school. It was an illuminating conversation that guided my work.
I still wanted to create something more than just a dragon on the wall; I hope to make art that tells a story, that shares ideas, and has room for interpretation.
Many of the schools that I have worked with in Norfolk deal with high levels of student turnover. At Camp Allen, military families are routinely deployed to other parts of the world, regardless of the school schedule. New students arrive on a weekly basis. Camp Allen’s leadership has found innovative and creative solutions to help ease this transition for students. The kids told me about the houses with their names, colors and points system, so similar to the Hogwarts houses in the Harry Potter books. Every kid on that leadership council had a story about arriving at Camp Allen as a new student, nervous and unsure. They were welcomed. They were included from the first moment. They described the school as a family.
A full view of The Dragon Family mosaic, in the school’s main hallway. © Dave Chance Photography
Early in the design phase, there was some concern; we wanted an approachable dragon, but not a silly cartoon. Sometimes, fairy tales dragons can be scary, frightening beasts that must be vanquished, but that’s not the message we wanted to send. In this story about Camp Allen, dragons are caring and supportive. That said, I hope some of the fierceness still comes through. Do not mess with a dragon’s family, because dragons will always protect their treasure.
PROJECT DETAILS
LOCATION: Camp Allen Elementary School, Norfolk, Virginia
DATE: October 2019
DIMENSIONS: 18′ by 9′, semi-circle
COMMISSIONED BY: Norfolk Arts
PROJECT MANAGER: Karen Rudd
DESIGNED BY: Marc Archambault
FABRICATED BY: Marc Archambault, Fred Lashley, Jonathan Frederick, Tony Costa, Brian Holda
INSTALLED BY: Marc Archambault, Fred Lashley, Jonathan Frederick, Tony Costa
ENGINEERING: Andrew Terrell of Lysaght & Associates, Raleigh, NC
TECHNICAL SUPPORT: Bo Thompson of Blackstone Masonry
PROFESSIONAL IMAGES: Dave Chance Photography