MARQUETTE — Wall sculptures can be created from many materials, but how many are made with foam insulation?

Youngsters had the opportunity to make such artwork Thursday during “Build Bold,” a Teen Thursday session sponsored by the Peter White Public Library. The workshop took place at the Marquette Arts and Culture Center, located in the lower level of the PWPL.

The instructor was Joy Bender-Hadley of Chocolay Township, who teaches at Marquette Alternative High School at Vandenboom.

Their art didn’t have to be complicated, with Bender-Hadley showing examples of what could be incorporated in their pieces.

“If you look at these, they’re really simple,” Bender-Hadley told the youngsters before they began their projects. “They’re just shapes.”

In fact, cutting out a piece that looked like a slice of pizza was fine by her.

Also OK was a three-dimensional shape.

“They can build up and have a table piece,” Bender-Hadley said.

Insulation wasn’t exactly fiberglass or wood, not that using the softer material was a drawback.

“It’s easy to cut,” said Bender-Hadley, who, although she let the kids use their own imaginations when creating their pieces, was in charge of using the jig saw.

She also let them know the main material — insulation — is used to build homes.

However, it was the 3-D aspect that was the theme of “building bold,” she told the kids.

“Normally when you think of a painting, maybe it’s on canvas, on paper,” Bender-Hadley said. “This you can actually build up.”

Mary Schneeberger, Teen Services coordinator at the library, helped at the “Being Bold” session, telling one child: “This is what it means by building it up.”

Aurora Stull, 11, of K.I. Sawyer, expressed a little ambition as she embarked on her insulation project.

“I thought that it’d be fun to learn better art,” Aurora said.

The next Teen Thursday session, “Get Surreal,” will involve creating a unique collage on plywood and is geared for grades 5 and up. The event will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday at the MACC. For more information, call 906-226-4321.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.