Photo by Lynne Belluscio
Savanah Freeman, a Le Roy High School senior, needed to complete 15 hours of community service for graduation and contacted me as Le Roy Municipal Historian with an idea.
Savannah had painted store windows in Batavia and thought that maybe she could paint some windows in Le Roy.
I suggested that Savanah work on some ideas about the solar eclipse that could be put in the front windows of the Le Roy Town Hall.
Savannah showed me some of her artwork and immediately I knew that Savannah had the talent to design some unique murals, but wondered whether there was enough time to get them completed in time.
Savannah had never worked on anything that big, but she was excited about the prospect.
We decided it would be best for Savannah to paint the murals on huge pieces of paper so she could work on them at home.
In two weeks, Savannah completed two large murals. One was a brightly colored mural with the Le Roy Village Hall on one side, and the other was a black-and-white image of the solar eclipse barn on the Fort Hill Farm on Route 19.
Savannah says these murals are the biggest pieces of art she has ever done, but she has enjoyed the challenge of working on something new. She only wished that she had had more time so she could have added more detail.
Savannah worked on the designs and sketched them out on paper, and then she called for some help from her friend Ariana Dinehart to do some of the painting.
Both girls said they learned a lot about Le Roy history, especially about the Village Hall which is a focal point of the large color mural.
The girls are best friends and attended school in Rochester before moving to Le Roy in August. They said that the move to Le Roy has been the best thing that has happened to them.
“Everyone in Le Roy — the teachers and the other students — have been so wonderful,” Savannah said.
Savannah, who is related to the Lathan family, points out that her family has “been here forever.”
Savannah says that her mother has had the biggest influence on her art.
“She has done every form of art in some way or another, and she has shown me that I can make a career out of something I love to do,“ Savannah said.
On Thursday, Savannah’s two murals were put up in the Town Hall windows. Almost immediately, folks gathered outside to take a look at the unique murals. They will be on display until the end of April.
Then they might be included in the school’s art show. Savannah says, “I definitely would love them to go somewhere where they won’t collect dust.”
Will Savannah watch the eclipse?
“I am really stoked to see the eclipse,” she said “I don’t plan on going anywhere just because of how many people are coming to see it, but I will definitely be hoping for no clouds so I can sit in my backyard and watch.”
