A Pose

The artist, the family, and the Hughes Foundation have decided on a sculpture of Mr. Tough on a bench. They all visit the school. Now it is up to the artist to come up with a pose. 

Because Mr. Tough was an architect, it feels natural that he might have a blueprint in his lap. Usually, a blueprint has a floor plan of a building and shows how the builders should make the building. But instead of that, the artist hopes to create a few drawings. These will be of special buildings that Mr. Tough worked on in his life. Perhaps drawing of four or five of special projects. His right hand will rest on the blue print and Mr. Tough will look in the distance as if he is reflecting on his life. 

Bridgette tries sitting on the bench in such a pose in her back yard. Then she creates a digital sketch in the computer of a possible pose. It does not look like Mr. Tough, nor does it have his clothes. She needs more reference photographs to know that, but this gives the artist a direction. Everyone is happy with this design. Now she waits for more reference photographs. The artist says, "You never have too many reference photographs." 

Questions for Teachers and students

• If someone were to do a sculpture of you, what do you think the pose would be? What would show your personality? 

Who is Mr Tough and Why is My School Named After Him?

This is an excellent question.

Tough Elementary website has a bio on Coulson Tough. However, the artist wants to know more than just a few things written down on a website. She wants to know Mr. Tough personally. How does she do that when he is no longer alive? She can't talk to him. She gets much of that part of the creative process through family and friends. As they tell her about this great man, she gets a "feel" for him, and she knows that makes the sculpture more alive and more personal. So as she learns about this man, you will learn about him. 

Here are some questions she has asked the family.

He became an architect. Were there things about him as a child that people thought he might become an architect? For example, did he like to build things? 

Many times, history or events change a person's path. Did this happen? 

What kind of man was he? Did he like education? 

Again, the artist is being a detective and loves this part of the journey. 

Teachers and Students

• What things would you ask if you had to learn about a relative that is no longer living? 
• Who would you ask? 
• Do you think you could become friends with someone no longer alive and "like" them just because of the stories you hear?  
• Why is learning about people and their history necessary? 
• What do you want people to remember about you? 

Has The Artist Created Sculpture for Other Schools?

Yes. Many Schools have mascots. A mascot is a symbol. A lot of times it is  an animal. Often people think a mascot brings luck. They are very proud of their school mascots. 

Prairie View Panther

Bridgette Mongeon first created Prairie View Panther for Prairie View A&M. Then she was contacted by Grambling State University, and they said they wanted something bigger and meaner. Their Tiger is about 15 feet tall. 

The Grambling Tiger. Do you remember how old the artist said that her granddaughter is today? Here is a funny photograph of her granddaughter when Bridgette was creating the Grambling Tiger. Issa grows up with her grandma's art. As a side note: the tiger did not eat Issa. 

Called To Pray

Bridgette also created this sculpture titled Called To Pray. You can see this at Dallas Baptist University. It is not a mascot but a sculpture of something important to the school- prayer. 

Booker T Washington 

Her most recent  school sculpture is not even installed yet. It is of Booker T. Washington Sitting in a chair and will go to Booker T Washington High School in Houston

Questions for teachers and students

Does your school have a mascot? 

If it does not, what type of mascot do you think it should have and why?

Did the schools that your parents go to have a mascot?

Was there a sculpture or a painting of the mascot at their school? 

Who is sculptor Bridgette Mongeon?

 Bridgette is a sculptor who lives in Houston, Texas. She loves to create art and especially sculpture. She is most known for her monumental sculpture of Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter Tea party in Evelyn's Park in Bellaire, Texas. But she has sculpted many other things as well, like giant tigers. You can visit her Alice in Wonderland sculpture and, while there, look for 150 different things she hid in the art. She hid them there because the story Alice's Adventures In Wonderland was 150 years old when she created the art. You have to know the stories of Alice, though, because you must not only know what the hidden things are, but also where she hid them and their importance. Can you find them all? There is a link to a detective book in case you want to become Wonderland detectives. If your school wants to take a field trip to see the sculpture contact the artist, she would be glad to show you some of the hidden things. 

Here are ten things the artist shared with this blog. 

1. Can you find two fish in a bed?

2. Can you find a crying baby?

3. Humpty Dumpty is in the scene twice. Can you find him? 

4. How many thimbles can you find? Why are thimbles important?

5. The author of the books, there are two, is Lewis Carroll. Can you find his face? 

6. What does it say on the bottom of the teapot that The Hatter is pouring? What does that mean? 

7. What is in the chair legs of the Hatter's chair? 

8. What is embroidered in the tablecloth on the top of the table? 

9. There are two sculpted Alices. One is enormous and the other small. Can you find both?

10. What is the dormouse sleeping in and on? 

Bridgette is going to hide things in the Tough sculpture as well. Not 150, but she will hide some things. What will she hide and what do they mean? She doesn't even know, yet. But watch the blog, and you will find out.  

Bridgette has sculpted many things in her life. When she is not sculpting, she likes to play at her pond in her backyard with he nine-year-old granddaughter Issa, camp, or hike in the woods. She teaches her granddaughter creative writing and she and Issa are working on her first book called, "Issa's Grand Adventures: Texas State Parks- Book One." 

For Teachers and Students- Questions

• Do you know the story of Alice in Wonderland?
• Can you name the characters in the picture above?
• Have you been to the sculpture? What did you think? 
• Who is your favorite character? 
• Did you know that one of these characters in this scene was never at the tea party? Who was it?  
• She named the sculpture "Move One Place On" Why did she do that? Hint read the story in Chapter 7.  If you ever see her at the sculpture as her to teach you the Move One Place On game. 

Meeting at The School

 Bridgette meets with the Hughes Foundation women to discuss a bench's design and placement. They decide that Coulson Tough will sit on a bench outside Tough Elementary School. The artist walks the area to see how the bench will be seen from all directions. One of the women pretends to be sitting on a bench. 

Bridgette thinks of many things while she is looking at the space. She wonders how children will interact with the sculpture. Will this sculpture's placement block traffic flow to the building? How will it be installed? Is there enough room for a bench, and what size can it be? Many questions are going through the mind of the artist as she visits. 

For Teachers and Students

What other sculpture have you seen in the neighborhood? 

Do you interact with the sculpture?

Welcome

What a fun journey we will have together. 

In April of 2022, the Hughes Foundation asked sculptor Bridgette Mongeon to create a sculpture in memory of Coulson Tough for Tough Elementary in Conroe, Texas. This blog is about the creative journey of the artist and the stories of others who have inspired her in this creation. Bridgette is not just a sculptor, she is also a writer and a proponent of STEAM and interdisciplinary education. STEAM education is an interdisciplinary education that focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Interdisciplinary means that when you are learning or doing one thing, that learning or doing brings in other subjects. One example is if you love baseball, you might learn about history as you learn about baseball players. Then you might learn about how fast someone can throw the ball that would bring a subject called physics and math into baseball. So, you are doing or reading about what you love, and without even knowing it, you are also learning other things. That is Bridgette's favorite way to learn. So when she is creating art, she also learns about history, math, engineering, technology, and much more. Bridgette encourages family and  friends of Mr. Tough, and students to follow along on this creative journey, ask questions, share their stories. This inspired the artist and ads to the creation.  Meanwhile you will learn about the process and Mr. Tough as well as  his part in the history of not only Texas, but much more.  

Please feel free to contact the artists with some of your thoughts. 

Questions For Teachers and Students. 

• What other artists do you know or read about? Who is your favorite? 
• Do you like to do art? What kind? Have you played in clay or play dough? 
• How does the word "interdisciplinary" work in your life? 
• Can you think of your favorite thing and how you can have fun learning other things through that favorite thing?