School Murals with ArtReach in San Diego

What is ArtReach?

ArtReach is a San Diego non-profit organization that provides children with the opportunity to connect with artists and get inspired to create through collaborative mural projects, artist residencies and workshops. They engage local artists, schools, businesses and community members, strengthening connections through art. ArtReach offers workshops, artwork auctions and local events to community members in addition to youth programs.

Collaborating with the ArtReach Mural Program

I found ArtReach through the Mural Program coordinator, a friend from college. Together, we collaborated on a mural project for a local school in San Diego. ArtReach works collaboratively with the students and staff to get ideas and inspiration about what they would want from a mural. Then, ArtReach connects a local artist who works with their ideas to come up with a unique mural design in their own style.

"This mural project showed me the magic of murals"

The Mural Design Process

The school's mascot is a Phoenix, and many of the students wanted natural elements from the local environment in Southern California. This was a truly collaborative experience, from conceptualization to the actual painting of the mural. I came up with a design that integrated native plants, including the California poppy, live oak, sage and agave with soft geometric background shapes, as well as buzzing bees and the might phoenix rising behind a sun.

The color palette for this mural was more muted, yet rich, giving the mural an earthy look. The style was inspired by my love for block printing design, where blocks are carved to create relief prints. The mural pulls from that style, with "carved" voids between each shape.

"Located in the center of campus and facing the neighborhood community, it serves as a daily reminder to students of their own continued expansion and inner strength." - ArtReach

The students and staff painted with us throughout the process, coming together to produce a beautiful legacy for their school. This mural project showed me the magic of murals; their ability to bring people of all ages together, to inspire others to create and to add joy to a space for others to benefit from for years to come.