Students at Carlmont have produced eight, soon to be nine, unique murals on campus over the years.
Murals are placed sporadically around campus for students to view them.
Principal Ralph Crame said, “Each mural is reflective of the student body and their personality. We want the students to have a say in the design of the murals.”
In addition to the murals already on campus, there is one currently being painted in the College and Career Center. College and Career Assistant Nina Rasor worked alongside Earl Kwofie, a senior, to design and paint the mural.
Rasor said, “My goal with bringing in a student artist is to encourage thought, conversation, and inspiration. The counseling department would like the College and Career Center to be a bright and inviting location on campus where students can study, research colleges, obtain information or just hang out. My hope is with this art piece the College and Career Center will welcome students that have not visited yet.”
Each mural on campus represents something different about the students at Carlmont depending on its location. The arts, school spirit, sports, and the importance of academics are represented in the murals.
Kwofie said,“I just want to do something different. I call it ‘The Process.’ It’s a plethora of hands performing different tasks you would do at the College and Career Center. It is shaped like a clock to represent the time you would spend in there.”
Widewalls is a website that gives information on galleries, murals, artists, and more. Within their history of murals, Widewalls explains that from cave paintings to acrylic paintings, murals have been a part of society since the beginning of humankind. It also discusses how messages, symbols, and legacies can be left behind from the artists’ work for future generations to admire and learn from.
“They depicted life activities, everyday scenery and usually religious traditions of the time they were created in, giving us a priceless look of the diversity of our cultures during different periods,” according to Widewalls’ history of murals.
Associations like College Track Precita Eyes Muralists Association help organize and produce murals for high schools. In 2000, this organization helped to create a mural in the Student Union titled “The Hands of the Past Help Guide the Future.”
The main purpose of Carlmont’s murals is to display school pride. For example, the mural on the sport’s equipment shed of the football field has figures of male and female athletes demonstrating some of Carlmont’s athletic programs.
These one-of-a-kind murals around campus bolster student unity and help foster the bond between students regardless of their differences.
“The murals bring a sense of happiness to the campus,” said Crame.
