Social Studies Hall in Need of a Facelift...

The current Social Studies hallway mural

Art Challenge:
Create a new mural for the Social Studies/ History hallway that represents the department 

The current mural was created long ago when this hall was the primarily made up of Math classes. It has since changed and now is almost all Social Studies classes. The hallway needs to reflect the current make up of classes and teachers and identify visually the content and curriculum of the department.

Process:
Research
1. Gather information from the faculty and students about what content and imagery the mural should contain. You may approach this through interviews, an on-line survey, brainstorm wall, group discussion in your class, etc.

2. Look at murals around the school, and at other schools and public spaces. What did you find? What inspires you and what does not "fit" or accurately represent the space that they are in. Critique the murals and decide what you would like to incorporate  ( and not incorporate) into your work.
Check out this article:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/08/17/boston-mural-ignites-culture-clash/0XWoHiEAAyoF86ygVuRN3J/story.html

3. Look at the work of:

• Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and  David Alfaro Siqueiros
  
• American Muralist William Walker and  check out the wall of respect 
• Hale Woodruff
  
• Local Muralist David Fichter and our very own George Ratkevich. 
  
• Check out this site that highlights African American murals: http://iconic.muralarts.org/collection
• Check out the mural explorer from http://explorer.muralarts.org/#/browse
  

Brainstorm
1. Sketch, sketch and sketch...gather the information/ ideas and content and sketch ideas. You will need to consider the space and where and how you want to cover/ fill the area. Are you going to paint on both walls or one? Will you fill the entire space or have a white or solid background? What is your goal with the painting? What are you trying to visually convey about the Social Studies Department?

2. You each need to create 6-10 sketches and then show them to each other. All of the sketches will be critiqued by the class

Proposal
1. Create a proposal board with the sketches and a statement describing the mural. You will be presenting the board to the Social Studies Department Chair and the Principal. Be prepared to answer questions, explain your choices and decisions. Expect criticism and be open to hearing suggestions.

Edits
1. Accept criticism and make the necessary changes. Your work is going to be viewed by many and most viewers will have an opinion and voice. Be prepared and open to suggestions. Edit your work accordingly.

Creation
1. Create your master piece on the wall. You will need to manage your supplies, equipment and painting in a public area. Many will be walking through the space and you will need to set up and maintain the supplies and equipment.