Ophelia the Octopus Texture Wall
Noah Smith and the St. Coletta Autism Committee
https://www.stcolettawi.org/2019-sensory-room/
Noah Smith is a freelance graphic designer and artist from Wisconsin. This Detailed and vibrant octopus, named “Ophelia”, was designed for the Autism Committee at St. Coletta of Wisconsin’s sensory room.
“I currently work full time as the “Communication & Design Specialist” (Graphic Design/Marketing) for St. Coletta of Wisconsin. So this project was created through some work hours but mostly volunteer after hours. Completed in 2 months from foam purchase to final hanging product.
This project was my second piece created with foam; presenting itself from the Autism Committee at St. Coletta of Wisconsin. Building a “Sensory Room” for individuals with developmental disabilities and those on the autism spectrum. A sensory room is designed to develop a person’s sense, usually through special lighting, music, and objects. It can be used as therapy for individuals with limited communication skills.
The committee invited me to be a part of the group to share ideas and to help lead the “Ophelia” the Octopus “Texture Wall”. This project was funded by donations from many amazing individuals for our “Giving Tuesday” online campaign which raised enough money to turn an empty room into something truly special.
Though I headed the Ophelia project, there were many hands from the committee who helped me with anything that they could – such as stenciling, sanding, coating, painting, texture ideas, fabric choices, and fabric gluing.. It was a true team effort, and that’s who we are at St. Coletta of Wisconsin, A team full of support for our staff, and for the individuals we serve.
Mentions include:
Nicole Styles (Head of the Committee)
Carrie Fox
Catherine Simpson
Stephanie McDonald
Bob Schmidt
Dan Golson
Beth Alexander
Sara Foerster
Sharon Mondl
Kris Toth
Lisa Amacher
Jennifer Wolf
Using samples from Hot Wire Foam Factory, we opted to go with the Styroplast, as that seemed to be the most durable for this type of application. With this type of wall/room, we wanted Ophelia to be a permanent piece that will last for years. We have nearly 200 clients that this room is open to if they choose, including many with wheelchairs that the wall will need to withstand wear and tear from.
All pieces were cut using the Hot Wire Foam Factory Pro 6-Inch Hot Knife. The edges were then sanded to give it the rounded edge look and feel. All the pieces were then coated with 2 layers of Styroplast and primed accordingly. For some pieces, we added texture directly during the Styroplast coating process to prevent items from falling off. For the other pieces, we used multiple textured fabrics to wrap the pieces. For longevity of the wall, we also have the fabric applied to the pieces with a strip of velcro in case they need to be washed or removed.
Along with Ophelia, we created some “Sand/Rock Drums” that are wheelchair friendly to coordinate with our “Music Wall”. Carrie and Sarah really put a lot of work into this aspect. A block of foam, cut using the 6-InchHot Knife, Freehand Router and coated in Styroplast.”
