Ceiling tiles at W.L.Miller

"The Buck Stops Here" was the sign attached to this ceiling tile that hung in the office of the Warren L. Miller Elementary School in Mansfield, PA. Mr. Novak our principal thought that was the perfect place for this artwork!
Early in my teaching career, I heard from one of my art professors (at Mansfield University) that it might be possible to paint ceiling tiles. I liked the idea. I had my fourth, fifth and sixth grade students do all 126 ceiling tiles in the art room my first year of teaching. The ceiling still survives in the school! As the years went by, my students did many more tiles up and down the halls on both floors of the school. All of the other ceiling tiles are now gone! Most were damaged in a fire last spring and thrown away. Some were claimed by former students or their families. Some ended up in the hands of Micki Moore a former student who is now a professor at M. U. This recent article by Cheryl Clarke tells the tale! (Cheryl's two sons were former students of mine. And I have two corrections - the ceiling tiles were made, under my direction, over a 31 year span. The paintings in the school cafeteria were a sixth grade project designed to decorate the cafeteria. They are painted on masonite not ceiling tiles.) These photos of the ceiling tiles were all taken the day before the fire.

They are all gone now.

The smoke damage thoughout the school was extensive. This photo was taken outside of the classroom where the fire originated.