This week, our main stairway and lobby have been graced by a beautiful new piece of art. The Hispanic Heritage Mural (2023) was created by 5 arts middle students and 2 staff members to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in our school.
Artists
Students
Mariela Resto, Avery Stewart, Canaan Polance, Cristian Medeiros-Josefides, Jannays Caceres
Staff
Dylan Friedman, Kimberly Monroe
Artists' Statement:
Our mural is a celebration of various Hispanic cultures and ethnicities from around the world. In our mural we represent all 21 Spanish speaking countries, all of which have their nation’s flag represented within the top portion of the mural. The figures within our mural represent a variety of different facets within Hispanic culture. On the left we portray a Puerto Rican salsa dancer, a Spanish flamenco dancer, and a Peruvian Festejo (“Fes-tay-ho”) dancer. Behind the flamenco dancer is an arrangement of carnations, the national flower of Spain. The central drummer brings the mural together with song and rhythm. Adjacent to the drummer on the left is a Peruvian cholita in a bowler hat, long braids and a colorful poncho. On the drummer’s right is a Mexican man in a traditional poncho and sombrero. Both figures represent the unique indigenous cultures and traditions of Latin America. The figures to the right of the mural represent the Afro-Latino populations of the various Latin American countries that oftentimes tend to be marginalized and overlooked. We intentionally chose to keep all of the faces of the figures in the mural nondescript, to allow the viewer to imagine them to be anyone from anywhere. Finally, in the top right corner of the mural is the folkloric creature called a “Vejigante” (“Ve-hee-gone-tay”), a uniquely Hispanic mythical creature that has its ties in Medieval Spain, but has since been passed down through traditions to the Caribbean into Puerto Rico.