Two hundred Art 1 students are piecing together a new tile mosaic in which a young African American woman, wearing a graduation cap and robe, carries the world in her hands. The mural, with a shimmering backdrop of night sky against a bank of whimsical clouds representing thoughts and dreams, will be installed over the summer on the brick wall of one of the main hallways of Eleanor Roosevelt High School. The project was led by visual arts instructor Christine Wilkin and Artist-in-Residence David Silva and funded by a grant from Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council.
Students submitted proposals for the design in response to the Eleanor Roosevelt quotation: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” A focus group, including students Daisy Bright-Chi, Abigail Jorgenson and Kelly Han, discerned a common theme from the proposals. The mosaic is the final project of the school year for Art 1 students. “This is a fun way to do a final with everyone working together to finish the mosaic,” stated Wilkin. “A collaborative project is more real world [experience] for artists than a standardized test.” Elroy Jacobs, a rising senior, worked on the cloud background. To Jacobs, working on the mosaic for school demonstrates how the community “should all come together and be like a family in school … and have a good time.” Danyel Allison, also a rising senior, learned how to cut tiles and affix them in all the different parts of the mosaic. “I’ve learned that the tiles will stick to the background,” she said. “I didn’t know how they were put together and now I’m learning how to do it myself.” Patrick Richards, ninth grader, is a young artist entrepreneur who has started his own business customizing shoes.
From the project, Richards learned “about placement and variety, so that we can get the best product.” Adding art to the walls of ERHS has been a priority for Wilkin since she arrived at the school and found the staff concerned about student stress levels. Principal Reginald McNeill and many ERHS teachers supported beautifying the windowless school with images from the natural world and students’ imaginations. The mosaic will join painted murals already in place at ERHS. Wilkin and Silva were two of the lead artists who designed the Paint Branch Underpass mural in College Park. The mural was completed in summer 2018 by students working for MarylandNational Capital Park and Planning Commission. Previously, Silva worked with Arts on the Block, a group that trains and employs high school students in Montgomery County to beautify Silver Spring with mosaics. Past work includes a large mosaic in the underpass near the Georgia Avenue Metro.
The Beauty of Dreams Evoked In ERHS Art Student Mosaic
The new mosaic at ERHS shows a young woman graduating and reaching for her dreams.