In the midst of our school’s aging infrastructure, theres a unique charm that catches the eye as students navigate Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s campus grounds – the temporary classroom walls.
Visible from the outside, the temporary classroom walls have become a canvas for artistic expression and school spirit. These vibrant murals, painted by school faculty and students, include a variety of artwork that shares a theme of environmental appreciation.
From the environmental appreciation mural on temp 9 that calls a message to cherish the Earth, to the mural with the painted track field on the Korean classroom’s temp on one half and a pair of hands holding the earth on the other half, to the sunset over the trees with the words “Welcome to Raider Nation” on temp 2, these murals fill the walls with vibrant hues of red, yellows and orange.
As you exit the dated exteriors of our school campus at the end of a long day, you might find yourself walking by these murals at golden hour as the last bits of the sun strike them, making it the perfect spot to take pictures with your friends as you enjoy the vibrance and youth of your teenage years in high school. Although the building may lack sunlight or color at times, it’s slowly revived by the efforts of staff and students to add a special Roosevelt touch by painting murals that express the beauty of nature outside, as well as our school community. There’s also art that isn’t murals, like the class of 2011’s pebble artwork of a town at the main entrance outside or the Japanese Exchange program’s art piece near the small cafeteria tables on the first floor.
Whether you are a staff member or a student, I encourage you to take a moment out of your commute throughout the school and admire the vibrance of colors and designs that these murals can bring to your day. Whether that is a nostalgic mural like Temp 13’s current and past orange cohort numbers written in black, or a playful mural like Temp 19 of a person riding their bike with various flowers in the background, or perhaps, there’s something new to admire about the art around our school grounds.
