Culver City Observer -

Westside Neighborhood School Installs Ed Massey “Syncopation”

Westside Neighborhood School announces it has installed artist Ed Massey’s “Syncopation” mural on its campus.

This vibrant, 7,000 square foot artwork was originally installed in 2004 at the Culver Plaza Building in Culver City. As the Culver Plaza Building is now scheduled for demolition and redevelopment, the Syncopation panels have been saved and installed on the facade of WNS. The new painting installation is comprised of 20- foot-tall stretched canvases encompassing the central administration building and the campus' education facilities.

Massey is "excited by the idea of Syncopation being in a new and educational environment where it can inspire young people and can be appreciated by campus visitors, the community and passersby alike. Often when a building is demolished, the artwork is lost forever.

In this case, we were able to save it and reuse it in a valuable way.” Another significant fact about Ed Massey’s artwork is that he frequently uses collaborative efforts and includes many children. Brad Zacuto, Head of School explains, “Ed Massey’s project-based approach is very closely aligned with how we teach and learn at Westside Neighborhood School. We value and appreciate the process as well as the beauty of this artwork. We are honored to have it displayed on our building façade.”

The artwork will be unveiled at a ceremony on September 6 at which time students, parents, teachers and staff will see the artwork on the WNS buildings for the first time. It has been in storage since it was taken down in January.

Everyone present will witness the transformation of the exterior of WNS from a neutral- looking space to a building making a dynamic, bold and bright statement. It is as if the new mural is a reflection of all the creativity and enthusiasm of the students inside the building and among the many creative enterprises in our surrounding community.

Westside Neighborhood School is a DK-8^th grade program that is based on four pillars: Academic Excellence, Community, Diversity, and Character. WNS uses a constructivist, project-based learning approach that encourages students to be resilient, innovative, collaborative, independent thinkers as well as people of character. Students develop a love of learning, cultural sensitivity and a deep understanding of our world.

.