[2005 Projects]

* A New Day

* The Higher We Climb...

* Home in our Eyes

* Voices

* Our Doors are Open to You

* 4th World Mural

* An Environmental...

* Roots & Wings

JAMS/ An Environmental Partnership

BASE Family- An Environmental Partnership

Groundswell Community Mural Project ©
www.groundswellmural.org

Acrylic on Plaster Wall
8 x 24 Ft
2005

Lead Artist: Christopher Cardinale
Assistant Artists: Chris Beck & JD Siazon
Youth Artists: Jean Simeon, Larry Noble, Ebony Thurman, Robert Phifer,
Jasmine Requena, Daquone Hart, Deneva Smith and Salisha Gordon

Community Partner(s): Brooklyn Academy for Science & the Environment, the Brooklyn Museum

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Groundswell partnered with Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment (BASE) to create a mural in the elevator bay of the fifth floor of Prospect Heights High School. The mural titled, ‘BASE Family- An Environmental Partnership’, was conceptualized, designed and painted by students from ninth and tenth grade classes at BASE, who worked with Groundswell artists to bring their collective vision to life.

The project began with trips to the Brooklyn Museum to see an exhibition of paintings and gallery talk by the African American artist, Kehinde Wiley. The students studied the process and concepts behind Wiley's portraits of African American men from the streets of Harlem in poses that referenced classical Western portraits. Wiley's paintings inspired the students to use portraiture to represent unique aspects of their high school in the mural.

The backgrounds of Wiley's paintings are filled with organic design motifs taken from art and architecture from around the world. After the visits to the museum the students participated in drawing sessions at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Observational drawings of a variety of plants from the gardens were turned into abstract designs which evolved into stencils that were used in the background of the mural.