Photo: Lauren Comly

Watershed Wall

is a clay tile mural created by students of the Ithaca City School District as a result of a public art collaboration between the City of Ithaca and Ithaca City School District (ICSD) art teachers. This project was facilitated by the Fine Arts Booster Group, an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), and supported by many community organizations.



The fifty-five foot mural was installed adjacent to the newly named “Butterfly Alley” in downtown Ithaca and has been donated to the City of Ithaca. The mural design represents an aerial view of the creeks feeding Cayuga Lake, our watershed. The clay tiles represent land and the lake rocks represent water, celebrating art and nature. This design was created by district art teachers with inclusive and developmentally appropriate educational goals in mind.

Photo: Lauren Comly

Students from ten schools from all grade levels worked on the clay tiles in their art classes. Each school was assigned a “land mass” or section and students worked collaboratively to make their imprints in clay.

Students made their textural impressions using a combination of natural objects and other items that represent their heritage and experiences. After the class collaboration, the sections were cut into tiles and kiln-fired, stained and fired again.

Once a school section was finished, the tiles were brought to a central location, assembled and affixed to panels. These panels were made according to City of Ithaca engineer’s specifications to ensure structural support and outdoor viability. 



From left to right above: Annemarie Zwack, with art teachers: Jocelyn Lutter, Kate Ciccone, Gary Bercow, and Sarah Locke.

The assembly process engaged community volunteers and students and coordinating artist Annemarie Zwack. Belle Sherman Elementary School’s art room became the designated assembly center due to room size, storage space and willing art teacher, Sarah Locke. Zwack became an “artist in residence” during this period, enabling Belle Sherman students the additional benefit of observing work as a part of their art classes.

On June 4, 2010 Mayor Carolyn Peterson cut the ribbon at the public unveiling of Watershed Wall. Two years from date of inception, we celebrated the completion of a public art project made possible through school, city, and community collaboration in Ithaca, New York.

Project Goals

Celebrate children’s art education and connect our community to the schools.



Project Outcomes:


• Significant public art piece representing our public school students
• A model for public art collaboration across schools and within the community 

• Student participation – 1,000 students involved in ten schools with clay making, additional 800 students in lake and stream study and trout in the classroom study through the Floating Classroom
• First community collaboration among Department of Public Works, Public Art Commission and ICSD 

• Artist in residence in the schools
• Connection of science curriculum to art 


Project support came from the Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), City of Ithaca Department of Public Works and Public Art Commission, Ithaca City School District art teachers, Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), IPEI Teacher Grants and FABG mini-grants, Service League, Tompkins Trust Company, All Stone and Tile Company, Tim Merrick Construction, Cayuga Lumber Company, Annemarie Zwack, Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom and Trout in the Classroom Projects, Strebel Community Enrichment Fund of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County, and A & B Awards.