Art students preserve a piece of South Putnam sports history
When the old gym floor at South Putnam High School was irreparably warped after a roof leak flooded the gym last summer, it was inevitable that much of the wood would be discarded.
Some pieces were taken as souvenirs while it was ripped up to make way for the new wood floor, but this constant element of South Putnam’s layout had served its purpose and needed to be replaced.
However, the center circle of the 50 year-old surface was saved from the dumpster. It now graces a wall in the school commons area and is being restored, thanks to the efforts of South Putnam art students taught by Holly Cooper.
Since the beginning of the spring semester, eight students in Cooper’s Advanced 3D Art class have been working together on the restoration and assembly of the pieces, which depict the eagle design that adorned the surface. Separated into an “execution” team and a “business” team, they have coordinated an initiative that has in essence been student-centered.
Cooper wrote in an e-mail to the Banner Graphic that the execution team has been responsible for collecting materials for the construction and chipping off the original clear coat, as well as creating the mount attaching the pieces to the wall. Describing it as a large puzzle, she related that the floor was installed in one school day. The business team has had the task of setting deadlines, getting in touch with an airbrush artist to touch up the paint, drafting letters to alumni and administrators and recently kickstarting a fundraising campaign for the project.
“Students were assigned to the teams based upon what they saw to be their strengths as an individual for the project,” Cooper wrote. “The project was designed for it to be student-led, and I have enjoyed guiding and watching my students take on such a large problem solving project.”
Although the eagle has been hung on the wall next to the concession stand, Cooper’s students still have more work to do as the semester progresses. The wood still needs filled and sanded before the artist can come and do the touch-ups. Clear coat and a frame will also be added before the floor is unveiled during South Putnam High School’s commencement ceremony on May 25.
A GoFundMe page has so far raised about $300, with a set goal of $3,000 for the entire project. Per the page’s description, it is hoped that all of the money can be raised by April.
The eagle is not the only part of the original floor to be salvaged and repurposed. Cooper and her husband Andrew also saved a part of a free-throw line, as well as a set of letters that spelled out “South Putnam.” The “S,” “P” and “A” letters have been made into wall pieces, with the first two hanging in the locker rooms and the latter in the athletic training office. Andrew has also made the “T” into a coffee table. Both the table and the eagle were featured at South Putnam’s Education Beyond Boundaries event last Wednesday.
At its regular meeting in January, the South Putnam School Board gave its approval for the remaining letters to be sold through www.bristleandbracket.com, a website the Coopers are creating for this purpose. Holly said at the meeting that 10 percent of all sales would go back to South Putnam High School.
While the Coopers have put much into making sure these pieces were saved, the students themselves surely feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in taking on the project and preserving this enduring piece of South Putnam’s basketball history.
“Putting up the gym floor has been very satisfying, because it means a lot to the community,” senior Connor Cain wrote.
“When I come back later on in life, it will be neat,” senior Garrett Heavin also expressed. “Everyone has a unique connection to the old gym floor.”
For her part, Cooper hopes that South Putnam, from the fans to students to its alumni, will still feel a connection to the wall, and that her students value their contribution in giving it new life.
“I hope they can see in return how much the South Putnam community appreciates what they are doing,” she wrote.