Colleen guides students in outlining the areas to be painted at upcoming paint parties.
In September, a committee was formed to work with the artist, Colleen Phelon Hall, to oversee the creation of a mural to honor Maggie L. Walker on the wall outside of the Blue Stone Lobby. The committee included stakeholders from the faculty, administration, alumni of MLWGS and the original Maggie L. Walker High School, current students, and parents. Colleen presented details about the project and process to all current art students. Students were tasked with researching Maggie L. Walker and the classes shared what they had learned. The design process also included an online survey that went out to the stakeholder community asking about what they felt should be included in the design. These responses and key takeaways were shared with the art students to include in their initial concept designs. Colleen enjoyed getting to share the project with the greater school community at the Fall Festival. She presented the student concept designs to the committee and narrowed down to the primary design direction that the committee preferred. Drawing from this feedback, Colleen created two main concept drawings and presented them again to the classes and the committee. The classes provided feedback on a potential color palette. The committee made the final call on the mural design. During Black History Month, Colleen has had the students assisting in tracing the projected image onto the fabric panels and preparing the panels for the upcoming paint parties. During March, Women’s History month, there will be several Paint Parties where the panels will be painted in a “paint by number” style. Paint Parties will take place on March 7th at the Youth Art and Music Month Exhibition, March 8th to honor International Women’s Day, March 14th for the Pie Day event for alumni, and other dates will be announced soon. If the weather cooperates, installation is slated for the middle of April.
Thumbnail sketch approved by the committee.
The final design (a quote from Mrs. Walker will be over the ‘smoke,’ and “Entrepreneurship”, “Education”, and “Equality” will be on banners and then Maggie L. Walker under her portrait.
Close up of the process.
Students trace the projected image on to the fabric panels.
More students helping.
