'Saintly' art produced by St. Vincent students

Courtesy photo/Saint Vincent de Paul School

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SALT LAKE CITY — Students at Saint Vincent de Paul School designed a "masterpiece" of Saint Vincent de Paul and presented their artwork to Father John Norman, the parish pastor, at a Mass during Catholic Schools Week in January. Six months in the making, this 5x8 foot piece of art now hangs in the Benvegnu Center on the grounds of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish and School in Salt Lake City.

Over the summer, the school renovated the 1970s building with updated tile, paint and new furniture. Principal Mark Longe thought it would be nice to have some new artwork to accentuate the new decor. He met with Sarah Niemann, a math teacher and the school’s art coordinator, to discuss the potential project. He wanted her to replicate the design of a greeting card she had produced with the students when Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald retired as vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Putting her creative skills to work, Niemann decided to make this art like a jigsaw puzzle. Using foam board she cut out puzzle pieces. This fall, she had students begin the project with patterned paper that had a pebbled appearance. The students cut this specialized paper into smaller pieces and then shellacked them onto the jigsaw pieces. The results helped create a wood-like look with subtle colors and patterns. The younger students worked on the border and students in 5th, 6th, and 7th grades put the final pieces together. Many of the students came after school to work on the project as part of their helping hands (community service) hours.

"Although this project has taken six months from beginning to end, it has been fun working with the students, helping them create a ‘masterpiece’ which will be hung for years to come in the Benvegnu Center," Niemann said.