Unity Mural
60ft x 13ft
Working with the art department heads and professional mural artists, I helped to design a large scale mural for my school’s lobby to reflect unity and diversity in the school community.
There were many challenges along the way, because unity and diversity are two themes that don’t often fit together, but my favorite part was seeing people excited and motivated and seeing the impact on students and staff. Whether that was the incoming freshmen, or in the administrators whose offices look out at the mural as a constant reminder of their work. Now, where there used to be a blank wall over the doorway of the school, a vibrant mural greets students and faculty as they enter the building.
I am incredibly proud of this project because it shows how a community can receive and give support. Working with different people in my school helped me learn valuable lessons in collaboration while creating an artwork with a unifying message that will welcome students into the school for years to come. From this experience, I discovered a passion for using art to connect with and impact my school while learning how to integrate different ideas and perspectives into a cohesive work.
I began with a rough draft of shapes and general positions, thinking about a color palette that would integrate well with the surrounding colors. The lobby is mainly beige with cream walls and red accents, so I chose a color palette that did not include any fiery reds, opting for an off-rainbow set of colors that had both warm and cool tones that would contrast with the otherwise monotone lobby.
The Process
Symbolism
Along with the students, there are different varieties of birds throughout the work. The birds are flying from left to right, towards the entrance of the lobby to signify the journey students make through the school. When students enter the school they are ultimately on a journey to leave it, and this cycle is represented with the direction of the birds.
Both the text and the circles reflect this message in the background as well. The text, pulled from excerpts of students’ work, flows with the cyclical shapes from the sun on the left to the night sky on the right. On the far right, behind the windows, is a city skyline of Philadelphia and five cell towers specific to the school’s location. Along with the direction of the birds, the skyline communicates that while students are ultimately destined to leave the school and continue their lives elsewhere, they began with the support from Harriton’s community.
The abstracted building is an interpretation of the school’s architecture, while the greenery in the background reflects the abundant nature and wildlife surrounding the school. The students pictured are abstracted images of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Harriton, directly referencing the student body. Originally it was a struggle to decide whether or not to include figures, but previous designs lacking students also lacked the human aspect of Harriton.