Savannah will soon have a new traveling mural, one with a powerful message about homelessness amongst the youth of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“HOME” is currently in progress at Savannah Arts Academy (SAA), and takes it’s inspiration from the documentary ‘Pier Kids,’ directed by Elegance Bratton.
“As part of DOCSavannah's fall screening series, we've teamed up with arts teachers and students from SAA to develop a mural project to be displayed throughout our town,” explained AV Tech and Film Instructor Zach Paige. “As is most often, the subjects of the film - the black gay and transgender youth experiencing homelessness - do not live on the streets by choice, but were either evicted or no longer felt safe within their own homes.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
“We felt a community mural would be a perfect vehicle to address the social issues raised in the film, but at the same time provide us an opportunity to celebrate the diversity within our own city. Our mural centers on how young people envision the concept of 'home' as interpreted in their artwork.
The final form of the piece will be atypical of the type of mural most Savannahians are likely accustomed to. Rather than a static image on a wall, it will instead encompass four large cutout and painted letters spelling “H-O-M-E,” along with corresponding two-dimensional backdrops. The format is allowing numerous classes at the school to take part in the process, offering the opportunity for an estimated 50-70 students in all to be involved in creating the artwork.
“All students in NAHS [National Art Honor Society] and some in our regular art classes were required to submit sketches, along with ideas to include for the final design,” noted SAA Advanced Placement Drawing Instructor Steve Schetski. “The teachers and NAHS members voted on the top designs and [fellow art teacher] Mrs. [Tessa] Parker and two of her students completed the final design.”
According to Schetski, that final design takes artistic inspiration from New York pop artist Keith Haring, a deliberate choice designed to draw in viewers and make the process enjoyable for the kids involved in its creation.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
“We have been working after school to get this done,” he added. “It is amazing how it is all coming together, as there are separate components that work together. Students had a lot of fun and were willing to work on this project, which was great to see.”
In addition to the collaborative efforts of DOCSavannah and Savannah Arts Academy, the mural project has been made possible thanks to financial support from PBS's POV documentary series, which Paige notes is “television's longest-running showcase for independent nonfiction films.” Specifically, DOCSavannah received funding from the prestigious “Our America: Documentaries in Dialogue” program, a resource allocation initiative orchestrated yearly by POV’s “community outreach and education arm,” POV Engage.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
The mural was completed in conjunction with the end of the school term, and Paige and the other teachers involved in the project have already lined up numerous partners who expressed interest in showing the movable piece. First City Pride Center on Bull Street has committed to display the student collaboration for several months in 2022, and Live Oak Public Libraries has expressed interest in helping to get “HOME” in front of a wider audience as well.
For Schetski, the more people that have the opportunity to view the piece, the better the chance it has at making the kind of positive impact on the community that he and his students think is possible with artworks like this one.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
“The theme for the mural is stressing the importance of home and the necessity for us all to get involved to lend a helping hand for a good cause,” he said.
“Perhaps this mural will give people a moment to think about others who may be homeless or don't have enough food in the pantry. We can all do our part to make sure we take care of one another and remember to love each other during this holiday season.”
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: DOCSavannah, Savannah Arts Academy honor youth in LGBTQIA+ community with new mural
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