You turn down a hallway and come face to face with an old man with crazy hair riding a roller coaster. Down another, it’s a large globe-man with an Uncle Sam hat wielding various country flags. Entering a classroom, you might find an elaborate jungle complete with a whole host of different species. While this may all sound like some sort of insane dream, these scenes aren’t dreams. Instead, they’re murals created by current RM students and alumni.
The process of painting a mural often starts with a teacher reaching out to a student they think would be interested. Currently, there are a number of murals in the works that students and teachers can look forward to seeing later in the year.
“Seeing the different sort of pieces of work that’ve been put on the walls of RM over the years is kind of like a slice of RM history, I guess, in a way,” media services technician Andrew Potvin said. “It’s cool to see, sort of, the amount of talent that has come through RM over the years, sort of immortalized via a mural.” Mr. Potvin and many of the students here recognize the significance of these murals on our everyday learning and lives.
“They have a profound impact on me and it’s just nice to walk in the hallways and just see beautiful art while I’m going to my next class,” freshman Evan Libeau said. The murals can be relaxing for students going about their day. They can also be helpful for incoming students finding their way around the school building, often matching the subject area of a hallway—like the mural of DNA being knitted in the science hallway or the various book quotes in the English hallway.
Recently, the Calligraphy Club completed a new mural in one of RM’s stairwells. The Calligraphy Club is a group dedicated to learning about different types of calligraphy, practicing calligraphy while giving back to the community, and creating art with friends. Club president and senior Naima Aubry-Romero said, “Us club leaders were brainstorming different projects we could do with the club and this one resonated the most with us since not only would it allow us to incorporate every member by letting them paint their own doodle but we could leave an impact on our school for years to come.”
Their new mural features the word “Create” in bouncy, black calligraphy with bright doodles scattered across it. Aubry-Romero said, “We decided on ‘Create’ since creating and expressing oneself through art is at the core of calligraphy. Moreover, we are strong believers that creativity fosters innovation and opens the mind.” This important message, as well as personal touches like Aubry-Romero’s skateboarding doodle featured in the “r”, will now live on as a part of RM’s walls and rich history.
The Calligraphy Club’s new mural is just one students can look forward to seeing now and in the near future. Mr. Potvin has also been working alongside students to create a new mural for RMBC to brighten up the space where morning announcements are produced each day. Hopefully, these new projects will inspire more teachers and students to continue making art that breathes creativity into every aspect of RM life.
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