jacob kepler/VIEWFrom left, artists Sharon Mann and Phyllis Mignard stand near a mural they created to commemorate the opening of the Las Vegas Day School’s new library.
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Fairies, a wand-wielding wizard and a glistening, green-scaled dragon are among a cast of characters in a fabric-illustrated banner that adorns a wall at the Las Vegas Day School Library, 3275 Red Rock St.
Local artists Phyllis Mignard and Sharon Mann donated the banner, which was designed to stimulate creativity and build the imagination.
Mignard, a children's book illustrator, worked in close correlation with Mann, a fabric artist, on the piece for more than a year, meticulously designing, cutting, painting and sewing the four-panel work of art.
"The piece incorporates a number of mediums," Mignard said. "Quilting, embroidery, crocheting, knitting, beading, hand sewing, and various painting techniques. It's unique and quite impressive, if I can pat myself on the back."
The panel was based on illustrations done by Mignard, who came up with the idea for the library's first anniversary.
"Well, we wanted it to be something special," Mignard, said. "The children get so excited about art, and the more they're exposed to, the more they want to learn."
Librarian Lucinda Truman fell in love with the piece as soon as she saw it.
"It is truly magical," she said. "What a catalyst to spark the imaginations of our kids."
The 15-foot panel, which includes 10 characters from fables and nursery rhymes, shows two children as they sit back-to-back, reading with a look of delight upon their tiny faces.
"You can see that they love what they're doing," Truman said. "You can see the worlds that are opened up to them by reading. You have a frog prince, Mother Goose, Humpty Dumpty ... these are all characters that most kids have a positive association with."
"That was our aim," Mignard said. "To find a character that would appeal to children of every maturity level, from pre-k to junior high."
The character fabric banner has become a favorite among Day School students, Truman said.
"They want to know how it was done so that they can try similar projects," she said. "We're not just promoting a love of reading, but a love of the arts. Manufactured art could never come close to evoking the same types of response that pieces like this bring out. We're very lucky to have such talented artists who will donate their time and talents to educate the younger generations about the importance of reading, art and imagination."
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