Encouraging Students to Reach for their Dreams
The Starry Knights mural team, mere days before the unveiling of "Journey of Dreams: Pathway to Purpose"
The Starry Knights endured blazing sun and high temperatures while painting the mural "Journey of Dreams: Pathway to Purpose."
They call themselves the “Starry Knights,” but the 21 Creative Art Works Youth Apprentices (YAs) under the guidance of Teaching Artists Mon Iker and Lorisse Es Arte and Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training Yotzin Reyes, labored for weeks in the hot sun to produce a mural to inspire students as they enter P.S. 368 / The William Lynch School in West Harlem. During early design interviews, Principal Charles Reilly and Assistant Principal Tamara “Ms. Tami” Bynum told the young artists that they wanted a mural that both conveyed the values of the school and reflected the diverse student body. They wanted something colorful, inviting, and inclusive that would encourage students to work hard to capture their dreams.
The final work of art is called “Journey of Dreams: Pathway to Purpose” and we think it fulfills its purpose. The idea for the pathway was inspired by board games and is intended to encourage young people to interact with the mural in a playful way. The mural is connected from left to right by a path that morphs as it crosses the mural. As YA Anais Quinonez explained, “The path starts off as hopscotch board to represent childhood and play. This then transforms into piano keys, symbolizing growth and self-expression. The path finally transforms into a staircase of books, as life is the sum of many stories overlapping and coming together to form a path for others to follow and to add their own stories.”
The flowers in the mural come from all around the world, reinforcing the idea of diversity.
Diversity: The children in the mural are depicted in a range of skin tones. Several YAs felt that it was important to specifically represent the Muslim students at the school, so one girl is shown wearing a hijab. The flowers around the door are indigenous to the many different homelands of the large immigrant population of the school.
Worth a Second Look: Aware that students would be passing it every day of their school career, the YAs packed their design with “Easter eggs” that reward careful observation. For example, the musical notes at the far left side of the mural are the first two bars of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” A diverse group of students spell out the word “LOVE” in sign language.
Night and Day: When viewed from left to right, the dominant color of the mural shifts from the dark blue of the night sky to the sunny yellow and light blue of day. The imagery is intended to convey that we need dreams to inspire us but we must engage with our world to make those dreams come true. On the far right, covering a door to the school, a student faces a portal in the shape of the sun. YA Sadia Quinones explains, “It symbolizes going through the door to a bright future by entering the school.”
The Process
Sun and Rain: Weather was a frequent obstacle during the creation of this mural. On sunny days, the temperatures soared and took a toll on YAs. Three of the eight days scheduled for painting were rain days. Through it all, our young artist remained cheerful and persevered. The fact that the mural was completed on time is a testament to their hard work.
The Unveiling
The official unveiling on August 14, 2024 was a joyful occasion with over 100 people in attendence, including YAs from other CAW programs, friends and family, and P.S. 368 and CAW Staff. YAs took turns explaining various features of the mural. Principal Reilly and CAW Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur addressed the crowd and commended the young artists.
“What you guys did this summer was inspirational, and I think inspiration is sometimes lost in this society. Our students will walk by this mural every day and be inspired. And you inspired us, the teachers and administrators, as well. I have to tell you how valuable and how important that is to our school community.”
Principal Charles Reilly thanks CAW YAs and TAs for creating a mural that reflects the values and student body of P.S. 368 / The William Lynch School.
CAW YA Sadia Quinones addresses the crowd at the unveiling.
“Honestly, this experience has been pretty fun and it has definitely made me a bit more confident in myself, especially when it comes to sharing my own ideas. And it’s also given me insight into working with others, especially other creatives.”
“Being a contributor to the mural design was a memorable experience for me. I enjoyed being a part of a team. I’m happy that I tried something new, like having a new client and a new team. And I’m happy that I am comfortable with my team, and I want to give a shout-out to them for helping me as well.”
CAW YA Christian Toro speaks to the power of being part of a team moments before the unveiling of the mural.
CAW Executive Director Karen Jolicoeur
“What you all accomplished is really something magical because there were only eight days to paint and three of them were total washouts. But you rose to the occasion, you worked through the challenges with paint and materials and weather, and in the end, we get to celebrate something really wonderful. Congratulations to the Teaching Artist team and to the Youth Apprentices at this location. You knocked it out of the park!”
Unveiling Gallery
"Journey of Dreams: Pathway to Purpose" at P.S. 368 / The William Lynch School
Read the Commemorative Brochure
Watch the Unveiling Video
Our People
The Starry Knights Team
Mon Iker, Teaching Artist
Lorisse Es Arte, Teaching Artist
Yotzin Reyes, Teaching Artist Assistant-in-Training
Donna Manganello, Program Manager
Madeline De León, Program Associate
Staff
Karen Jolicoeur, Executive Director
Ian Newton, Director of Finance and Administration
Riki Sabel, Program Manager | Teaching and Learning
Donna Manganello, Program Manager
Kevin Claiborne, Program Manager
Ivory Nunez-Medrano, Community Artmaking Initiatives Coordinator
Emilio Vides-Curnen, Operations Coordinator
Madeline De León, Program Associate
Clair Vogel, Development Manager
Scott Lucas, Marketing & Communications Manager
Jill Goldstein, Office Manager
Andrés Piedrahita, Development & Marketing Associate
Board of Directors
Brian Ricklin, President
Andrew D. Levin, Chairman
Steven Soutendijk, Treasurer
Julia Sanabria, Secretary
Lauren Cascio
Mosely Chaszar
Scott Corneby
Charmaine Davis-Murray
Gail Holcomb
Cary Levy
John Maher
Gabe Marans
Carol Rosenberg
Andrew Stern
Tiffany Theriault
Our Thanks
Creative Art Works' programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Public Art Youth Employment Program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional program funders include the Find Your Light Foundation, the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, the Ponce de Leon Foundation, and the William Talbot Hillman Foundation.
We are grateful for in-kind donations, space, and expertise from these generous supporters:
