All Colors Run Through Us, 2019
"For the Buffalo Public School District Central Registration Center, we wanted to design a mural that would serve as a warm and welcoming beacon for everyone who enters the building, parents and children alike. Because of the rich ethnic, national, and geographic diversity represented in the school district, the mural stands as a visual representation of the multicultural composition of its members.
The colorful grid sections are filled with illustrations of traditional textile patterns from 18 different countries representing the largest cultural, ethnic, and immigrant populations in Erie County and within the BPS system. The monochromatic blue sections near the center show iconic "gateways" that people entering the community may have encountered on their journey to Buffalo. In the hopes of making every person who enters the facility feel at home, no matter their background or country of origin, the purple sections contain the word "welcome" written in twenty-seven languages.
At the center of the design are the hands of one of the student participants in the Mural Mania! program, shown covered in paint after a day of creating color studies in the classroom. This image, of hands held forth in the universal gesture of welcome and openness, reflects the important work done by the BPS, and symbolizes the spirit of connection and good will that is crucial in creating a space of creativity, growth, and learning. We hope that everyone who sees it as they enter into the family of the Public School system, no matter how far or near they originated, will feel welcome and at home."
Written by Michele Agosto
"For the Buffalo Public School District Central Registration Center, we wanted to design a mural that would serve as a warm and welcoming beacon for everyone who enters the building, parents and children alike. Because of the rich ethnic, national, and geographic diversity represented in the school district, the mural stands as a visual representation of the multicultural composition of its members.
The colorful grid sections are filled with illustrations of traditional textile patterns from 18 different countries representing the largest cultural, ethnic, and immigrant populations in Erie County and within the BPS system. The monochromatic blue sections near the center show iconic "gateways" that people entering the community may have encountered on their journey to Buffalo. In the hopes of making every person who enters the facility feel at home, no matter their background or country of origin, the purple sections contain the word "welcome" written in twenty-seven languages.
At the center of the design are the hands of one of the student participants in the Mural Mania! program, shown covered in paint after a day of creating color studies in the classroom. This image, of hands held forth in the universal gesture of welcome and openness, reflects the important work done by the BPS, and symbolizes the spirit of connection and good will that is crucial in creating a space of creativity, growth, and learning. We hope that everyone who sees it as they enter into the family of the Public School system, no matter how far or near they originated, will feel welcome and at home."
Written by Michele Agosto