In the past three years, the Art Honor Society has painted many murals throughout Schreiber. These include the “Psychology Wall of Fame” in the social studies psychology classroom, the “Hall of Tolerance” paintings in the social studies wing and most prominently, the large Viking mural in the cafeteria, which took Art Honor Society students two years to fully complete.
“The murals add character and beauty to the space while allowing students to leave their mark on the school,” said art teacher Ms. Miranda Best.
From spring and until the end of the year, the Art Honor Society will be re-painting the mural previously on the wall adjacent to the Student Commons. The project was originally scheduled to be painted during midterm week; however, this was unachievable due to conflicting student schedules.
“A new mural would lift peoples’ spirits every time they see it,” said freshman Maria Kogan. “And due to the location, they would see it quite often too.”
Each time the decision is made for a new mural to be painted, a process for choosing a location begins. Club members walk together around the school during meeting times discussing potential sites for a painting.
Several other locations were considered, including stairways and other hallways, but the wall by the Commons was ultimately chosen for its convenient proximity to the art rooms for supplies and its clear visibility.
“The area is an amazing choice, especially because it’s in the art wing,” said Kogan.
The previous mural was painted four years ago by art students Nick Gardella and Chelsea Morano, a tribute to honor the retiring art teacher Mary Lynn Conte-Lawe. However, because the mural was created using a combination of both latex and tempera paint, it did not hold up well over times. This further encouraged the Art Honor Society to paint a new mural on top, this time using only latex paint to avoid the results of combining types with different properties.
There have been several different ideas for the subject and design of the new mural up to this point. Some possibilities that the club is considering include a sports-themed mural to inspire the many athletes in the school, a New York City skyline with a unique twist, and a Banksy-inspired piece. The latter idea was prompted by the British artist’s October 2013 “residency” on the streets of New York City. AP Studio Art students followed this journey.
Another frontrunner is a scene from Maurice Sendak’s well-known children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, an interpretation of which is currently being designed by AP Studio Art students senior Aeduk Lee and junior Juyoung Park.
“Our club looks forward to creating a new mural for the Schreiber community to enjoy this spring,” said Ms. Best.