DATE: Monday, June 9, 1997                  TAG: 9706090040

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN RIDDLE, CORRESPONDENT 
DATELINE: MANTEO                            LENGTH:   71 lines

LEARNING THROUIGH A MOSAIC PIECE BY PIECE, MANTEO STUDENTS HAVE PORTRAYED FIVE ANCIENT CULTURES.

Every school day since Easter, about 40 Manteo High School art students have been taking turns working side by side, gluing hundreds of marble tiles to a cement board to create a large mosaic.

The subject of the 1 1/2-by-8-foot artwork: Images from five cultures that thrived in the Israeli city of Sepphoris during the third century.

The student's labors echo the work of ancient artisans whose massive floor mosaics were unearthed by archaeologists from Duke University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Sepphoris during the 1980s.

As the 20th century students cut marble chunks under the guidance of art teacher Robin York, their peers in Julie Osmon's English classes studied texts and literature that describe the life and cultural fruits of an era that's highlighted by the harmonious co-existence of Jews, Christians, Greeks, Romans and Muslims.

``They found it fascinating,'' Osmon said. And not unlike the ancient groups, the students had to work in harmony ``like youwould in the work force,'' she said. The mosaic was started after a lot of reading, researching, sketching and brainstorming by about 120 English and art students.

The Sepphoris interdisciplinary project is part of an outreach program created by the North Carolina Museum of Art. The museum is exhibiting artifacts from the biblical city through July 6. Six public schools are participating in the project, but Manteo High School was the only one to receive a $200 grant to pay for art supplies.

``One of the reasons we chose Manteo High School is we've worked with them on a mural last year and the mural was absolutely wonderful,'' said Deborah Reid-Murphy, outreach coordinator for the museum.

Under the leadership of Gov. Jim Hunt, an alliance was officially formed in 1995 between North Carolina and Israel with the goal of strengthening cultural ties. The Israeli government recently released the Sepphoris artifacts to the museum. Thirty-five Manteo students went to Raleigh to see them. Ancient coins, mosaics, sculptures, architectural fragments, jewelry and ceramic vessels are on display.

``We asked the students to look at the Sepphoris exhibition and develop their own mosaics,'' said Reid-Murphy. Individual mosaics were made by students across the state as well as some larger pieces that will be on display at the museum this September through November. A written explanation of the Manteo mosaic's symbolism, images, colors and designs created by the students will accompany their piece to Raleigh.

The mosaic is made up of four heavy slabs, beginning at the bottom with the Greeks, the oldest culture. ``The 12 columns represent the 12 Olympian gods, and the lightning bolt represents Zeus' power,'' said Manteo High school student Jamie Rawdanowicz.

Water weaves its way up the mosaic through all five cultures. ``It's a biblical symbol of eternal life,'' said Robin York, ``available for thirsty souls.'' Christian symbols like the dove of peace and olive branches are found in one section. A Muslim temple sits at the top of the mosaic.

As the students researched the five cultures, they discovered similarities such as ``how religion has restricted behaviors throughout time,'' Osmon said. They also marveled at how ancient cultures could achieve harmony that has thus far eluded their 20th century counterparts.

The mosaic will come back to Manteo High School in November and will be on permanent display in the school library.

``It's been a real rewarding experience because the kids have been able to bring their skills that they've acquired in other classes to bring forth a product,'' Osmon said. ``They were exposed to other areas to see how a subject is not taught in isolation. It needs to be taught collectively.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Manteo High art students have been working on this 8-foot mosaic

since Easter. Its symbols represent the Greek, Roman, Muslim, Jewish

and Christian cultures of a third-century city.

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