During their meeting on October 22, the School Committee voted to make Burlington’s Elementary Schools forever homes to some of the pig statues that decorated the Town Common over the summer.
As reported on BNEWS earlier this year, The Pigs on Parade were a fundraiser for the Burlington Sculpture Park. Many of the pigs were transported to the local businesses and organizations that sponsored them at the end of August. According to the Sculpture Park website, a map of all the pigs’ current whereabouts is in the works.
Committee members voiced multiple concerns with having the pigs on school grounds, particularly with regards to safety.
“I spoke with teachers who felt like they didn’t want to be responsible for the pigs.” said Committee Member Meghan Nawoichik, “They didn’t want to be responsible for the students when they’re climbing on them in the snow and when they’re wet, so I still think that there are safety concerns.”
But School Committee Chair Christine Monaco wasn’t too worried. “The pigs are made of fiberglass and they’re very strong and sturdy but they don’t shatter if they were to somehow break.” said Monaco, “There is no lead paint. They have several coats of urethane…so I think any safety issues anyone has are not too valid.”
Nawoichik also took issue with the fact that one pig had already been installed at an elementary school without the approval of the committee. Committee Member Katherine Bond echoed her concerns, adding that she was upset school resources were being used to install the pigs.
“I feel like facilities are taking time, effort, and the school’s money to install these things without us knowing how much time that’s taking, so it’s a cost.” said Bond. But, she went on,“In the end if the students want it, and the principals aren’t opposed, at this point I’m just going to let it go.”
The committee also took issue with the fact the pigs would be installed with signage that would include QR codes leading to the Sculpture Park website and information about the businesses that sponsored each statue. (A similar issue was discussed by the Board of Appeals when the pigs were initially installed on the Town Common).
“I don’t think we should be giving a member of the Planning Board an advantage to advertise on school property after youth organizations have come forward to us years after years saying ‘We’d like to put signs up on the fences’ and ‘We’d like to advertise to help raise money for fields or sports organizations” said Nawoichik. “I think that it’s putting us in a position where we may or may not feel forced to accept the pigs because of building projects that we have coming before the Planning Board. I think that it’s a conflict of interest.”
No members of the Planning Board or Sculpture Park Committee were in attendance due to scheduling conflicts, but an email to the School Committee from Barbara L’Huereux, member of the former and chair of the latter, was referenced.
Ultimately, the School Committee voted 3-1 in favor to accept the pigs without the signage (Vice Chair Melissa Massardo was not in attendance), with one going to each of the four elementary schools in Burlington. The committee then made an amendment in their vote to include the pig that was sponsored by and currently located at the Burlington Science Center.
In a post on Facebook, L’Heureux shared that the pig dubbed “Abstraction” had been moved to Pine Glen Elementary School. “Abstraction” was designed and painted by current high school students and Pine Glen alumni Eiko Coram and Dove Jimenez.
“Abstraction has gone back to the school where his creators got their start!” the post read.