Lacey Middle School is "New" Art Teacher's Canvas

High above John Fragale's art room, lining the vaulted ceiling is a painting of the sun and the stars and the four seasons of a town, just one of the many murals painted throughout Lacey Township Middle School. 

Fragale is the "new" art teacher at the school, taking over the position full-time only last school year. Having earned degrees in industrial arts and fine arts, he began his teaching career at Long Branch High School, his alma mater. Fragale began teaching at Lacey Middle School in 1980 and spent 20 years as the woodshop teacher. He then moved to technology and computers.

"People said technology is so inside the box and you're so outside the box," said Fragale. 

During that time he taught a couple of periods of art each day. But when the art teacher retired, he was given the job full-time.

"When I did wood shop, it was always a creative process," he said. "When I started teaching art full-time, I went crazy with my creative side."

Over the years, he's painted murals in the art room, in all four staircases of the school, over the exit doors by the music room and the column in front of the nurse's office. He also frosted the glass on the window in front of the main office. 

His next project will be something for over the four trophy cases outside the gym, at the request of Principal James Handschuch. He said he's also planning to do Chuck Close-style oversize gridded portraits of Mr. Hanschuch and Vice Principal Jason King.

"People at school don't know how I have the energy," he said. "I come in early, leave late. I'm always creating."

Fragale said he has had several very artistically gifted students, but what he finds most special is when a regular student has that light bulb go off.

"We were doing Jackson Pollack paintings -- dripping paint on canvas -- and one girl had a grin from ear to ear," he said. "I told her, 'You made my day.'  There was intensity in her face. I love seeing that."

Recently, he and his students created the "F Hall River of Awesomeness." He gave each student in his 8th grade class a sheet of paper with wavy lines like a water-flow ripple that connected. They then did their own designs on the sheet and he put them back together on the hall wall.

Art class is considered a rotator class and is assigned to the students for one marking period, but Fragale said he tries to instill the love of art and creating in every student, even those who might not have chose to take art had they been given the choice.

"The kids really like my class because I have so much enthusiasm," he said. "In the past 35 years of teaching, the past two have been the best."

Fragale, who says he doesn't remember a time in his life when he wasn't creative, passed his talent on to his children. His daughter studied photography and worked in a gallery and his son studied sculpture and now designs jewelry in New York City.

He said last week his son told him to tell his students they can make money at art and he agreed that they can be successful, although it might take a little more work.

"Even if I reach one kid a year, someone's going into the art field," said Fragale.

At home, Fragale painted a 360-degree mural of New York City on the interior walls of his garage and his hobby is carving table top carousel horses.

"I like the process of creating," said Fragale. "It's a release, whatever is in my head, to let it out through my hands."