Many Faces

Here are some pictures from a recent collaboration with Rebecca Schwarz, the 8th grade art teacher at Pelham Middle School in New York.

“Heroes Walkway,”(more photos here) is a physical and metaphorical path toward responsible citizenship for Pelham Middle School students in Pelham, New York. Sixteen panels line the outdoor walkway between the Middle and High Schools.

Inspired by Michael Schwerner, a graduate of Pelham High who traveled to Mississippi in 1963 to fight for voting rights for African Americans, it features fifty diverse individuals selected and portrayed by students.

Transparent portraits on plexiglass float two inches in front of quotes and images from each hero’s life chosen and painted by the students.

230 students were involved. The school districts' "16 Habits of Mind" Initiative, provided the unifying theme.The students really outdid themselves, especially with the portraits, which express not only the individuals portrayed, but also the individual style of each student artist. Not your typical school mural, “Heroes Walkway” involved many sectors of the school community, including Social studies teachers, who helped the students come up with a list of "Habits of Mind" heroes and gather biographical information, and English teachers, who guided students' research on appropriate quotes.

It had something for everyone: school administrators, teachers, parents, and the students themselves. Arts Westchester, the county arts council, also supported the project through their Arts Partners program. The school's maintenance staff (thanks so much to Victor and Robert!) were very patient during the whole process, and did a fabulous job on the installation.

Here is the mural committee, who put in many hours afterschool pulling the mural together and applying finishing touches. Thanks everyone and congratulations on a job well done.