2024 Arts Education Program Mural
Location: Montview Elementary School, Aurora, CO
The students from the Newcomer Support Group at Montview Elementary School joined Street Wise Artist Sofi Rami to create a culture themed mural for their school campus. Sofi Rami met with students, explained their artist journey and background, brainstormed together about their various cultures and identified symbols that represented their growing Newcomer community. Sofi Rami took the feedback and ideas generated from the students to create a collaborative design that the students painted together. The project supports the students’ sense of belonging and engagement with their new school.
The mountains, rainbow, waterfalls, and rose are all imagery the Newcomer students mentioned during their brainstorming session. The waterfall and water leading to the lake is a metaphor for the students' migration and journey to America. The colors of the mountains and waterways represent colors from their home country flags.