Welcome to Lucerne, Switzerland, a quaint Canton nestled in the majestic Swiss Alps, with the beautiful Reuss River running through it. This city dates back to 750 A.D. and it is full of old fashioned charm, including cobble stoned streets and enormous clock towers. The main city/shopping area is free of mainstream transportation, and is mainly a walking/biking area.
To get to the main shopping area, you must cross one of the three 14th century wooden Chapel bridges over the rolling waters of the Reuss, home to flocks of ducks and swans. The bridge tells the story of the city’s history, with beautiful painted panels depicting war, knighthood, and celebration. Each panel is underlined by a caption in German, describing the scene and when it took place.
Unfortunately, a large portion of the bridge was burnt and nearly destroyed in 1993 when a bridge walker lit a cigarette that sparked an enormous fire, bringing sorrow to city-dwellers of Lucerne and people around the world. The bridge has had work done to help restore it, but even today, as you walk along that end of the bridge, the smell of smoke is evident. 
One of the biggest attractions in Lucerne is a beautiful carved monument on the north side of the Canton. It is a crying lion, carved into a cliff, holding a shield and a sword with the crest of Lucerne. It was created in 1820-1821 by Lukas Ahorn, a tribute to those who lost their lives in the French Revolution, and a symbol of the grief felt by the entire Canton of Lucerne. 
During the construction of the lion, the Canton was unable to pay for the completion of the statue. In order to preserve his reputation as an artist and avoid having an unfinished work, Ahorn swallowed his pride and completed the sculpture, but he added his own sarcastic twist. With a closer look at the ten by six meter staggering creation, the outline of the cave that the Lion of Lucerne rests in, resembles a pig, a sarcastic but subtle jilt at the Canton that refused to pay him fully.
All in all, this is a city rich with history, art and culture. It has a unique story to tell, and tells in a beautiful way. The charming ambiance in a place surrounded by the Alps with a river running through is a beautiful thing in of itself, and when travelers take the time to experience the full history and majesty of this amazing city, they are sure to recommend a visit.
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/lucerne.html ....click here to learn more about Lucerne
http://twistedsifter.com/2011/09/picture-of-the-day-the-lion-monument-of-lucerne-switzerland/ ...click here for information on Mark Twain's review of the Lion of Lucerne
http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/history-flag-switzerland.html ....click here to learn about Switzerland and it's flag
This week, I had a chance to sit down with Mrs. Roberts and ask her about her path to becoming an art teacher. We had a really interesting conversation about her life. Mrs. Roberts grew up in West Boylston, and went to the West Boylston Schools. When she was in middle school, one of her classmates passed away after fighting a long battle with cancer. “This was really difficult for me, as I had grown up with him since preschool. I took it pretty hard,” says Roberts. Soon after, Mrs. Roberts learned about art therapy for kids fighting terminal diseases, and she because very interested in pursuing that as a career.
ReplyDeleteThroughout high school, Mrs. Roberts was not the best student, but she always shined in the art room. She took every art class offered at the school, and Mrs. Tetler, her art teacher enrolled her in other art classes at the Worcester Art Museum. When it came time to choose a path after high school, Mrs. Roberts knew that her only option would be to follow her passion for art. She was very interested in UMASS Amherst, because they had the option of a self-designed major, in which she would be able to become certified in Art Therapy. However, Mrs. Roberts did not have the grades to get into UMASS right out of high school, so she attended Mt. Wachusett Community College for two years after high school.
In her program at MWCC, she would be accepted immediately to UMASS upon graduation as long as she maintained a good grade point average. This was her goal throughout her time at MWCC, and stayed in close touch with her advisors there. Mrs. Roberts graduated with flying colors, at which time she began her studies at UMASS Amherst. Throughout her time there, she maintained a part-time job at Clay Time Pottery Studio in Worcester. According to Roberts, she also became involved in programs at the Worcester Art Museum, where she eventually became a board director.
During her time at UMASS, Mrs. Roberts studied both ceramics and education, hoping to end up with a degree in Art Therapy. She took a large course load and pushed herself to achieve in both areas. “I became so bogged down with courses that I lost sight of my goals for my future career, and my advisor called me in for a meeting.”
The advisor suggested she drop the education portion and finish her degree in ceramics. After she finished, she could be free to return to school to study education. This would save her a lot of trouble, and assure that she would accomplish her goals.
After graduating, Mrs. Roberts enrolled in education courses at Framingham State College and continued her time working at Clay Time. At Framingham State, she became very involved in art related clubs as she pursued her careered in education.
When she graduated, she returned to Clay Time as a full time manager. She began her search for a job as a teacher or art therapist, and eventually landed a job in West Boylston with a little help from Mrs. Tetler.
Roberts (left) and Tetler at an art conference. (see link below)
Now, she works as a Middle School and Elementary School art teacher. She still has a strong interest in art therapy, and she hopes to eventually pursue that as a career, perhaps opening her own small business for children with terminal diseases and their families. She is very happy with her career and how it has all worked out in the end.
http://www.wbschools.com/pages/West_Boylston_Public_Schools
http://www.wbschools.com/pages/West_Boylston_Public_Schools/News/WB_Art_Teachers_Attend_NAEA_Co
Emily, I really liked your article about the Europe trip. I'm still jealous that I didn't get to go :( I love the story about Ahorn.
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