Inspirational Moms and Dads |
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by Patty Catalano
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Page 1 of 5
Giving Art
Karen Wald freely admits she is addicted to TV home improvement shows. Among her favorite projects: painting on furniture, walls, and accessories. “There isn’t a surface that shouldn’t be painted!” she declares.
The Sharon, Mass., mother of two directs her passion to benefit her children’s school, Heights Elementary. Wald recently painted the doors to the school’s office and library in preparation for a summer mural project. And last winter, she and a few other local artists painted a series of Adirondack chairs for the Heights parent-teacher organization’s annual auction fundraiser. The vibrantly decorated chairs were displayed throughout town to advertise the event, then sold to the highest bidder. Wald’s chair brought in $200.
Before the birth of her children, 9-year-old Amy and 6-year-old Jonathan, Wald gained professional experience in media and website production, and she’s currently producing an IMAX film about gravity and weightlessness. Her work experience exposed her to graphic design, another interest she’s pursued while aiding the school. “I’ve picked up quite a bit of graphic design lingo and tips from my colleagues,” she says. “I started doing a lot of graphic design for the PTO when I suggested that I could spruce up the newsletter.” That “sprucing up” turned into two years of producing newsletters, flyers, raffle tickets, forms, and a website for the Adirondack chairs project.
Although she assists with many PTO activities throughout the year, including the annual fashion show fundraiser, Wald most enjoys helping the school by using her creative skills. She’s currently working with the school’s art teacher on that large mural, and she painted a foursquare box, a hopscotch grid, and a map of the United States on the playground’s blacktop while students were on summer break. Not only that, she says, “We’re buying 10 new Adirondack chairs to be painted for next year’s auction. My paintbrush never gets a rest!”
Wald’s artistic contributions dotting the campus brighten up school spaces, but for daughter Amy the benefit is much closer to home. “I really like it,” she says of the time Wald spends at the school, “because I get to see my mom more often during the day.”
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