July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
A touch of artistry (10/10/07)
A touch of artistry (10/10/07)
By By ROBERT BANSER-
Striking!
That's the best way to describe a three-dimensional eagle with a volleyball in one talon and a basketball in the other, appearing to break through the wall of the West Jay Middle School gymnasium.
Artist Ed Palubinskas spent the latter part of last week and a portion of last weekend painting murals on the north, south and east walls of the gym. Two of the murals depict eagles - the West Jay Middle School mascot - while the other features a United States flag and is directly across from the bleachers in the gym.
Of Lithuanian heritage, Palubinskas hails from Australia where he played guard on two Australian Olympic teams in the 1970s. After the Olympics he came to the United States to play basketball and study at Louisiana State University. He currently lives in Greenwell Springs, La.
After college, he became a basketball coach and then started his artistic endeavors, painting murals at athletic facilities across the country. After completing the West Jay project, he was headed to Utah for another assignment.
Jay School Corporation superintendent Dr. Tim Long had seen Ed's work at Monroe Central High School and liked the mural there. Consequently, with the installation of the new wooden floor at West Jay, Long thought a new mural might fit right in.
Originally, the plan was just to do a large eagle on one wall, but once on the scene, Ed suggested the trio of murals on three different walls and negotiated a deal with the local school officials.
The largest of the three murals is approximately 20-feet by 25-feet.
West Jay principal Michael Crull said he was happy to welcome the artist to Dunkirk, and rolled out the red carpet for him.
The fact that Ed was a former high school basketball coach as well as a former college and Olympic basketball team member didn't hurt matters either.
Ed described himself as a shooting guard, and said he still puts on some basketball shooting clinics. A few years ago, he set a Guinness Book of World Records mark for shooting free throws. He shot 1,265 free throws in an hour, making 1,206 of them.
He has been painting murals since 1986. Ed said that as a basketball player and spectator, he noticed that many of the gyms could use some brightening up. Consequently, he started doing gym floor artwork and murals.
"I created my own niche ... There was a need for artistic beauty in institutions," Ed said, pointing out that from designs on floors he advanced to murals on the walls.
"Basically, I found a new niche and a new way to make a wonderful living," commented the basketball player/coach turned artist. "I beautify facilities all over the world. It's a nice legacy," he added.
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That's the best way to describe a three-dimensional eagle with a volleyball in one talon and a basketball in the other, appearing to break through the wall of the West Jay Middle School gymnasium.
Artist Ed Palubinskas spent the latter part of last week and a portion of last weekend painting murals on the north, south and east walls of the gym. Two of the murals depict eagles - the West Jay Middle School mascot - while the other features a United States flag and is directly across from the bleachers in the gym.
Of Lithuanian heritage, Palubinskas hails from Australia where he played guard on two Australian Olympic teams in the 1970s. After the Olympics he came to the United States to play basketball and study at Louisiana State University. He currently lives in Greenwell Springs, La.
After college, he became a basketball coach and then started his artistic endeavors, painting murals at athletic facilities across the country. After completing the West Jay project, he was headed to Utah for another assignment.
Jay School Corporation superintendent Dr. Tim Long had seen Ed's work at Monroe Central High School and liked the mural there. Consequently, with the installation of the new wooden floor at West Jay, Long thought a new mural might fit right in.
Originally, the plan was just to do a large eagle on one wall, but once on the scene, Ed suggested the trio of murals on three different walls and negotiated a deal with the local school officials.
The largest of the three murals is approximately 20-feet by 25-feet.
West Jay principal Michael Crull said he was happy to welcome the artist to Dunkirk, and rolled out the red carpet for him.
The fact that Ed was a former high school basketball coach as well as a former college and Olympic basketball team member didn't hurt matters either.
Ed described himself as a shooting guard, and said he still puts on some basketball shooting clinics. A few years ago, he set a Guinness Book of World Records mark for shooting free throws. He shot 1,265 free throws in an hour, making 1,206 of them.
He has been painting murals since 1986. Ed said that as a basketball player and spectator, he noticed that many of the gyms could use some brightening up. Consequently, he started doing gym floor artwork and murals.
"I created my own niche ... There was a need for artistic beauty in institutions," Ed said, pointing out that from designs on floors he advanced to murals on the walls.
"Basically, I found a new niche and a new way to make a wonderful living," commented the basketball player/coach turned artist. "I beautify facilities all over the world. It's a nice legacy," he added.
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