We stopped by M.S. 131 yesterday, where 8th grade students took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony for an expansive and colorful mural they designed and created outside their school, on Hester Street. The project is part of the Hester Street Collaborative’s “Ground Up” education program, which helps kids relate to their communities and “social environment.”
During the past several months, the students learned all about color, contour drawings and the role of public art installations. After exploring the neighborhood, they created sketches and then, created the 90-foot, multi-faceted mural. The ribbon cutting ceremony was led by Jamie Lischke, M.S. 131’s art instructor, and Jess Osserman, Hester Street Collaborative’s lead artist on the project.
Hester Street Collaborative is a non-profit organization, affiliated with the Leroy Street Studio (an architectural firm), that works to improve the physical environment of the city’s under-served neighborhoods.