Mt. Airy Art Garage Leads Students in 'Community of Pride' Mural

by 
Ruth Joray, for the Shuttle

Linda Slodki photo
Houston School student does prep work for a mural contribution.

Neighborhood resources and creative scheduling have produced a bright year of opportunities for the Mt. Airy Art Garage, despite the unnerving experience of having to establish a new permanent home.

The Community of Pride Mural Project is a glowing example of our commitment to community and ability to persevere in our mission. 

We are asking children at Henry Houston and Eleanor C. Emlen public schools, “What Makes You Proud?” Our goal is to deepen a sense of community spirit and pride, using art as a means of communication among the children. This project is about enriching children’s lives, offering inclusive opportunities and sharing the positive rewards of making art together. 

We are working to build a culture of good will that cuts across political or cultural differences and even embraces them.

MAAG has established satellite offices on site at the two schools, so all work is being done indoors. The children have already begun their own drawings and are being guided in making personally expressive imagery that will be incorporated into large collaborative mural images. The project has been running Fall/Winter 2016-17. We expect the community paint days, where everyone can participate, to begin this month. Those murals will then be permanently mounted at the schools for everyone to appreciate. At the conclusion of the projects, there will be an unveiling ceremony in each school, honoring the collaboration between the children and adults whose work is represented in the murals.

Your support will help make this project even more successful. We’d love to have you join us during community paint days. Your financial support also means the world to these kids, to us, to our neighbors and to the community. 

Be a part of making art happen. Join the Community of Pride Mural Project.For more info, call 215-242-5074, email info@mtairyartgarage.org, or visit www.mtairyartgarage.org.