Jess Perry-Martin
“Gearing Up for the Future” is a high school mural project exploring innovation from a Steam Punk perspective. Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences art students embraced the design aesthetic of the Industrial Age in their mural. This piece envisions a world where idea and innovation run free of the constraints of the past. They created a work laden with symbolic imagery (see video for slide-show of mural project) that explores the endless potential for innovation in technology, science and beyond.
VAAS students are educated to value the integration of art, science, and global collaborative thinking. VAAS is a unique school because our students choose to enroll here and have many opportunities to learn a variety of arts and sciences that go beyond their required courses for graduation and university admission.
Students are also expected to create projects that demonstrate interdisciplinary thinking. This work creates a school climate that fosters creativity, innovation, respect, and passion for the arts. The student artists working on this mural project are intellectuals, athletes, dancers, musicians and thespians. At VAAS, a student takes on many roles and our work reflects that multi-dimensional thinking.
This mural provides a visual reference for students and the wider community to pay homage to the innovations of the 19th and 20th century. It’s a reminder that true progress comes from a willingness to learn from the past while breaking free of its constraints.
This project was created with a generous support of Americans for the Arts and VANS. Their support and funding allowed students to visit the work of Jacob Hashimoto on display at MOCA Pacific Design Center. His show “Gas Giant” was an installation of handmade kites made to represent the layers of air and change in the atmosphere after a gas explosion.
The students were inspired by his use of geometric shapes, space, and form – and wove those characteristics into their own project. All told, this mural and its impact on the school community have been dramatic. Not only do non-artists engage in daily conversation about the work, students in younger grades have already signed up to create artworks in the future.
Thanks to Americans for the Arts, VANS, and the community of arts enthusiasts at the Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences for making this work possible.
Check out this Flipogram of the VAAS Gearing Up for the Future mural!
