Dynamic, Community-Driven Murals Installed at Sheridan Arts Spanish Dual Immersion School

Four huge murals are being installed on the side of Sheridan Arts Spanish Dual Immersion School in Northeast Minneapolis during the month of August! The project, a collaboration of Forecast Public Art, GoodSpace Murals and artist Drew Peterson, is funded by a Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Learning grant.

Every student in the school has engaged in both designing and painting the mural through two week-long school residencies with Peterson and Greta McLain. In addition, paint parties at the school and out in the community during Art-A-Whirl have brought neighbors into active engagement with the project.

“This project exemplifies what this school is all about as an arts magnet school,” says Sheridan principal China Guzman Carrero. “We are committed to creating opportunities for students to be immersed in the arts, and our students are demonstrating art can stimulate higher level thinking, build community and encourage joyful, active learning.”

The four murals span the south walls of the building, which face Broadway Avenue. Approximately 2,000 square feet in size, they are painted using the parachute cloth technique, an indirect mural painting approach developed by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. This technique is used by GoodSpace Murals to make mural creation accessible to students of all ages and abilities. This project is also pushing the boundaries of the technique by introducing screen printed patterns and portraits by Peterson. Images of students playing instruments and engaged in other creative activities reinforce the arts magnet approach of the school arts magnet school.

Sheridan Arts Spanish Dual Immersion School is a caring, diverse community of creative, inclusive, critical thinkers focused on empowering students to be lifelong learners. Located at 1201 University Avenue NE in Minneapolis, the school serves students pre-kindergarten through 5th grade.

Photo by Michael Bellotti, @minnyappleart @minnyapplephoto