4 SCHOOLS | 4 WEEKS| 4 MURALS
Engaging Students and Beautifying Schools through Murals
During the Winter of 2021, Saint-Cyr Art Studio partnered with Nassau County Office of Youth Services and its former executive directors, Dana Boylan, Esq. and Joseph Smith, Executive of Long Beach Reach. Participating schools included: Hempstead Middle School (ABGS), Uniondale Middle School (Turtle Hook), Roosevelt Middle School, and Westbury High School. This initiative was sponsored by the Nassau County Office of Youth Services and NYS Office of Children and Family Services.
About this Project
Saint-Cyr Art Studio collaborated with students to provide four schools, with a total of four murals, in just four weeks. Through the creation of these murals, students were able to engage in the process of beautifying their school while also understanding how messages can be communicated visually.
The process of making the murals is beneficial to the school community. The making of murals is filled with bureaucracy and organizational skills that the students will absorb while they are painting the murals. This teaches them how businesses works and exposes them to careers they may not have heard of.
These murals serve to remind students of the values of their school while encouraging them to use their creativity. The designs of the murals vary however, each piece depicts an important aspect of humanity and culture relevant to the school. Providing a vibrant and artistic environment for students, allows them to feel safe as it humanizes the space around them.
ABGS Middle School
The mural in ABGS Middle School displays a forest scene of characters that reflect the student body and staff. The scene is decorated with the admirable traits their students’ and staff embody and pays tribute to a former Administrator.
“We feel happy to come to our school and see the beautiful mural that we helped to paint, it is something that represents the school”
“We wanted to use the medium art to encourage positive youth development and reduction of risky behavior. This project underscores the importance of public-private-nonprofit partnerships.”
Roosevelt Middle School
The overall design displays how safe community, safe education, and safe connections are vital for students success. The design also shows impactful scenes in education like students engaged in class and students posing in graduation robes and caps. The bold colors and snapshots of student success are accompanied by phrases representing the schools’ atmosphere.
“Murals can be used to beautify spaces and to remind students of the community values of their educational institution. ”
Westbury High School
The mural in Westbury High School consists of graphic text, quotes and images that remind students they are creative, diligent, visionary and focused leaders pursuing an education at a school that recognizes them as such.
(Turtle Hook) Uniondale Middle School
The mural in Turtle Hook Middle School consists of visual representations of professionals and students hard at work. These silhouette images are complimented with powerful words like compassion and integrity, to which the school instills in their values for their students’ education.
“Art has been proven to stimulate learning and encourages people to pay closer attention to their surroundings”
