The students and faculty involved with National Art Honors Society have been working towards the goal of spreading creativity in the community. National Art Honors Society students and staff are currently working on five murals around the school building, and planning more around the community in the near future.
Digital Art, AP Art, and Art 1 teacher, Joseph Marano, shares his connection to murals. Marano said, “I worked for the Mural Arts Project in Philadelphia for three years, and also painted murals in Brooklyn, New York, as well as in the Bronx.” Marano discussed further his hopes for the current murals. “I hope that everyone has fun and we are able to bring a little more beauty to our community.”
Marano shared what he hoped the students would get out of these projects as well.“So often when students work, they are limited by the size of the paper they work on. Working large is an entirely different experience. It can be intimidating at first, but I hope that by the end, each volunteer feels more confident,” Marano said.
Sophia Melfe, 10, head of one of the murals, discusses her thoughts on the project. She spoke about the Wings Mural commissioned by principal Keith Brook. “I’m excited, I really enjoy the colors and I love the way I decided to do it. I think it’s intricate and I hope that it’ll be an eye-catcher,” Melfe said. Melfe also discussed her hopes for the project, “I’m hoping that what people get from the mural is that it represents a lot of growth and shows that Clearview is free-spirited, paving the way for the future, and an ever-growing and developing community.”
Melfe shared her enthusiasm for working on the project as well. “There’s something wonderful about getting lost in something, and that’s what happens when you do something important like the mural. You just zone in and nothing else matters at that moment, I think that’s the best part about large and important projects like this,” she said. Melfe shared a piece of advice for anyone interested, “Do something you love and don’t stop doing it.”
