Student Painting Honors Legacy of 'Jack' King

A painting by two high school students may pay tribute to “Jack” King but it also speaks to just how much the late English teacher affected her students.

“She just changed everybody’s way of thinking,” said Andrew Beattie, who along with Connor Pelletier-Sutton, painted the piece.

It was unveiled during a ceremony at Canton High School Tuesday afternoon. The ceremony included poetry readings, live music and some brief words about King, a second-year English and Canton Academy teacher who was killed in a car crash in May of 2011.

The painting shows King pulling down the edge of a canvas to reveal Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond. It also contains his quote, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

Natalie King remembered bringing her granddaughter to Walden Pond when Jack was about nine years old.

“She was very wrapped up in the peacefulness of it,” Natalie King said after the ceremony. “I think it made an impression on her.

During the ceremony she said the painting was special, especially since it brought back those memories.

“Having a painting like this is so meaningful,” she said. “Thank you.”

Beattie said the idea for pulling down the canvas was inspired by a painting by Banksy, an English graffiti artist King admired.

The painting also alludes to King’s flair for fashion and intentionally hides her feet.

“I thought that would be a good dedication to let her have whatever height she might want,” Pelletier-Sutton said.

Principal Gary Gula said the piece “does capture Jack’s spirit.”

“Jack was a neat person with a passion for the arts, literature, poetry and the arts,” Gula said. “Her curiosity knew no bounds and that’s what made her so interesting.”

And her eclectic nature was the reason for offering many different aspects at the unveiling. Some members of the high school’s jazz combo played several numbers. Senior Josiah Durbois read "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost.

English teacher Anna Moberly read a selection from transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson titled “I become a transparent eyeball.”

Gula also presented the King’s a $250 check from the Class of 2011 to go toward a scholarship in King’s name. The class will also donate a bench for the outside of the school.

Art teacher Roz Marino said the idea for the painting was really planted the Friday before King died. The late teacher asked Marino about creating some kind of painting on the windows of her classroom that would change perspective as people moved around the room.

“She was really concerned with the perspective of the viewer as opposed to the scene you were looking at,” Marino said.

And while that idea never came to be Marino began talking to the artists in her drawing class.

Students often have great ideas but don’t always follow through, Gula said. But in this case they finished it over the summer.

“I saw it and it was just beautiful,” Gula said. “It literally took my breath away.”

Several of Kings’s family and friends came Tuesday.

Her mother Donita said Jack would be so appreciative of the students working together with their teacher.

She will put the paining above her fireplace when the school gives it to the family at the end of the year.

"I’ll treasure it forever,” she said.

King’s father Danny said he wants to convey his appreciation as well. He also said the family has found out more and more how much of an impact Jack had during her brief time at the school.

“I had no idea,” he said.

At the ceremony, Gula gave people the chance to speak.

Mary Engvall said King taught her son how to have “respectful, intellectual debates" and leave the room as friends.  

“That’s something that is so missing in our society today,” she said. “I was so grateful that she was able to bring that to these kids. “

Canton Academy student Mike Levy, a 2011 graduate, Tunxis student and recipient of the Jack King Memorial Scholarship spoke as well. He said King taught them to read a graphic novel “Watchmen” on a deeper level, slowly looking at each page and discover so much depth in each scene.

“I’ve never before encountered that … a teacher teaching us something that is so out of the box,” he said.

Natalie King said her granddaughter’s life was like a pebble thrown into a pond.

“You just don’t know where all the effects will end or how far they will spread to others’ lives.”