Search
Mobile Menu Open/Close

News

Sangamon County Hosts Large Mural Painting at Southeast High School

Sangamon County Hosts Large Mural Painting at Southeast High School

As part of the Transportation Hub mural project, one of the commissioned artists is in the capital city this week painting a mural with local students representing eight of the high schools in Sangamon County, with support from the Springfield Art Association (SAA). The Sangamon County mural advisory committee for the new Transportation Hub in downtown Springfield wanted the commissioned artists, who have been hired to paint murals at the Hub, to engage with students in the community to connect them to the murals at the Hub. The advisory committee contacted Sangamon County high schools and the SAA to ask for recommendations of students/recent grads to participate in the program.

During the week of August 1 through August 5, 2022, muralist Danielle Mastrion is working with students to paint a mural that spans more than 40 feet long and more than 10 feet tall in the Southeast High School courtyard.

“We are excited that Danielle is in town and working side by side with some of our youth representing high schools in both our rural and urban communities,” said Andy Van Meter, Sangamon County board chairman. “As we build the new Transportation Hub, we want our young people to be engaged and involved in it to help build pride in our community.” The mural the students are painting this week resembles the rendering of a mural that will be painted at the downtown Hub in the spring of 2023. It includes many of the same native Illinois flowers and the word “Growth.”

“I picked the word ‘growth’ that has a double meaning that while the kids are in high school, they will experience a lot of growth both academically and socially – and it also is the literal meaning of the native flowers that grow in Illinois,” said Mastrion. “I hope that this serves as a beautiful reminder to students of their potential and will always connect them with the Transportation Hub downtown, whether they go to school at Southeast or one of the other schools in the county.”

“We are so grateful to the county and the advisory committee for putting this opportunity together to bring high school students to Southeast and install this mural here,” said Cody Trigg, Southeast High School principal. “This beautiful mural will be wonderful for our students and will now connect us to other students in the area as well as the new Transportation Hub.”

The high schools who had students/recent grads participating included Southeast High School, Springfield High School, Lanphier High School, Glenwood High School, Tri-City High School, Rochester High School, Williamsville High School and New Berlin High School.

Previous Article Sangamon County Partners with the Illinois State Museum
Next Article Sangamon County Residential Broadband Survey
Print
1640