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As the new construction has rolled out here at Albany High, our fine arts department caught a vision for bringing color, light and community pride into our building: !

Throughout Albany High, there are many hallways with blank spaces, which makes a perfect palette for large-scale art! Fine Arts Department Chair Krissy Monahan loved the concept of murals, but was drawn to the idea of curating pieces that could be moved and changed out to keep things fresh. As fortune would have it, she came across worn-out bulletin boards destined for the dumpster. Monahan knew with a simple coat of gesso to prime the surface, these bulletin boards could be upcycled into canvases for our students! 

Regents week was the perfect opportunity to open up the fine arts wing for the “moveable mural” project. Thanks to the recruiting efforts of eight fine arts teachers, over fifty students who are currently enrolled in a fine arts class volunteered their time and artistic talent to create ten “ moveable murals” which will be displayed here at Albany High. Each piece is unique, including elements such as inspirational quotes, three-dimensional details, landscape/cityscape views and Albany motifs, such as tulips and the beloved Nipper. Our students had plenty of paint and materials for their projects, thanks to �������� School Site Coordinator Monica Santiago, who helped secure funding and painting supplies.

Art teacher Erica Cubello noted how amazing it was to have hours of time for the students to work uninterrupted, observing it felt very similar to college-level studio art classes! Students that are normally shy opened up during the week, experiencing a level of comfort and ease that isn’t always possible in the classroom setting due to time restraints and the pressure of graded work.

One of the wonderful aspects of this collaborative art project was that students of any skill level were welcome to participate. Art teacher Ashleigh Johns noted how much students enjoyed applying paint with cosmetic sponges, noting this technique could be done successfully by students with limited experience. Many of our students who participated in this project were able to log volunteer hours in SchooLinks towards their graduation cords. Eight of the murals were completed Jan. 21-24, and the remaining two will be completed this week.

We can’t wait to see these murals hanging in our hallways at Albany High, and we want to give a huge shout out to Krissy Monahan, Debbie Cronin, Thea Resila, Theresa Story, Ashleigh Johns, Diana Del Giudice, David Easton and Erica Cubello for making such an enriching project possible during Regents week!