Mural: "Reach High" - Instructor Poster & Lesson

"The most natural, purest, and strongest form of painting is the mural," said Mexican muralist Jose Clemente Orozco, "it is also the most generous ... it is for the people. It is for everyone." Public murals celebrate and add beauty to their communities. They have the power to inspire everyone who sees them. This issue's Masterpiece poster presents a Philadelphia mural that honors the hopes and dreams of children everywhere. It is titled "Reach High and You Will Go Far."

Meet the Artist

A collaborative artist, Joshua Sarantitis has worked in the tradition of contemporary community-driven art projects for 12 years. In all, Sarantitis has created 11 public murals for the city of Philadelphia. Each one tells a story. Before beginning a mural, Sarantitis spends many hours with members of the community, listening to them talk about their neighborhood and the issues that are important to them. He then begins to visually interpret their stories, sketching and planning for the mural. Born in New York City in 1959, Sarantitis attended the High School of Music and Art, and later studied art at Oberlin College. You can see more of his murals at www.zographos.net

Art With a Reach

Painted in 2000, Reach High and You Will Go Far bursts forth from a three-story building facade. A tree, rooted in the uplifted arms of a young girl, grows upward until its foliage rises above the urban setting--an inspiration visible to the whole community. Sarantitis works in richly pigmented acrylics, which keep their color when exposed to the elements. The mural took nearly five months to complete.

Art Activity: Classroom Mural

Have your students create a mural that celebrates your own classroom community. Tape a large roll of paper to a classroom wall, or mark off a section of the blacktop and use colored chalk. Spend some time sharing ideas about the focus of your mural and the details to include. What symbols and images can you use to represent your classroom life? Share your finished mural with parents on Open School Night, and be sure to take photographs!

How to Teach the Artwork

WALL PAINTINGS

Murals are also known as wall paintings. Thousands of years ago, early people created the first murals: cave paintings.

CITYSCAPE

Call students' attention to the city details inside the mural. Does the environment seem friendly or menacing? What feelings does it evoke?

METAPHOR

The mural's title is "Reach High and You Will Go Far," Ask: What is the visual metaphor in the mural? How does it fit with the mural's title?

TREETOP Look together at the way the top of the tree extends as a billboard above the building. The artist intentionally broke beyond the wall surface to show how people can grow beyond their circumstances.

HALO OF LIGHT Ask your class to notice the transparent stained glass and halo of light surrounding the girl. What seems to be the source of the light in the picture?

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