April 17, 2018
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is partnering with Moundsville Middle School to present an exhibit and demonstration of a unique method of creating art using basic principles of science. “Pendulum Painting” will go on display on Wednesday, April 18 and visitors can view the exhibit through Saturday, May 12 during regular museum hours.
Students at Moundsville Middle School learned about the forces of motion and gravity using a new painting technique. Instead of using a paint brush, Joy Van Scyoc’s art class attached a rope to the ceiling of their classroom and mounted a plastic cup filled with paint at its end. By using this arrangement as a pendulum, the students studied and discussed how the rope moved due to the force of gravity, creating a pattern. The resulting artworks will be on display to visitors of Grave Creek Mound.
The artwork was created by students Elise Martinez-Cunningham, Ethan Neely, Kobe Yocum, Reese Bortle, Austin Heath, Jack Thomas, Samara Walker, Travis Huff, Carl Cochran, Hayden Shields, Kaden Shriner, Kelsey Kidd, Tony Roth, Isaac Trayon, Dean Gibson and Alex Francis.
Van Scyoc serves as Art and STEM instructor as well as TSA Advisor at Moundsville Middle School. She will demonstrate this painting technique during a special program titled “Art with Gravity,” from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. Weather permitting, the pendulum will be suspended from the bridge that runs over the museum’s picnic area.
The exhibit and demonstration are free and open to the public.
For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility.
Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m.
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