A Piece of Connecticut on the National Mall

When the national Christmas tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. has its lights turned on this year, they will cast their glow on ornaments designed and created by a New London artist and Connecticut middle school students.

Mark Patnode was invited to design the ornament to represent Connecticut at this year's ceremony. Fifty-four trees, representing each state and United States territory, line a "Pathway to Peace" to the official Christmas tree. The ornaments will be hung on the tree representing Connecticut, and one will be placed on the tree in the White House Visitor Center along with a representative ornament from each of the other 53 states and territories.

Patnode said the invitation stemmed from another piece he did for the state this year. In honor of the 375th anniversary of the state, Patnode painted a picture of the Charter Oak and formally donated it to Gov. M. Jodi Rell this spring. The Charter Oak represents a legend tracing its roots to 1687, when colonists are said to have hidden a charter guaranteeing certain freedoms in a Hartford oak tree to avoid its seizure by agents of King James II.

Patnode's painting of the oak is on display at the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism until Dec. 13, and will then become part of the Governor's Residence Conservancy program. Patnode said he was eager to get a local school involved, and with the help of state officials he was able to have middle school students in the Higher Order Thinking program at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden take part in the project.

"The challenge was to get the notification to the Lincoln Middle School before the holidays," said Patnode.

The ornaments needed to be delivered by Nov. 9, so they were painted one day in October. Art teacher Christine Webster said the class focused on trees and acrylic painting in anticipation of the visit by Patnode and Ledyard artist Roger Tremblay to instruct the students in the ornament painting.

"They were absolutely thrilled," said Webster. "They were told it was a great honor to even be considered for this, so they were anxious to do a good job."

Patnode created the ornament's design, the Charter Oak on one side and a declaration of Connecticut's 375th anniversary on the other. He credited Karen Senich, executive director of the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, as well as Bonnie Koba, program manager with the organization, for their role in the project. Patnode said the two women were aware he was doing a tree series following the death of his father, who particularly enjoyed his pine tree paintings.

"It's not just a wonderful opportunity, it's poignant," he said.

For his role in creating the ornament, Patnode received two tickets to the tree lighting ceremony today at 5 p.m. He is also taking along two posters of his Charter Oak painting, signed by the student artists, and will try to get them to President Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia. The ceremony, organized by the National Park Foundation, will be open to the general public by lottery.

Patnode says he considers the honor a way of closing the year of Connecticut's 375th anniversary.

"I just think it's such a fitting way to wind it up, at the White House on the Pathway to Peace," he said.

"I am very proud that Connecticut will be represented on the national Christmas tree with the very symbol that embodies the spirit of liberty and freedom that our state has embraced since its founding," said Rell in a press release. "This experience of helping our state celebrate its 375th Anniversary is one that these schoolchildren will remember the rest of their lives."

This is not the first year that Patnode has had work displayed in the White House at Christmastime. In 2008, Sen. Joe Lieberman asked him to design an ornament for the White House Blue Room.

New London will also be represented by the Coast Guard Academy Band, which will be among the performers at the ceremony.

For a related story, visit the Meriden Patch.