Gaines Street Mural
About
In collaboration with Tallahassee’s Opening Nights events, the Department of Art Education will be hosting a community mural painting from February 7th to the 28th on Gaines Street. This event is a wonderful opportunity to make a lasting impact on the Tallahassee community.
Art Therapy graduate student, Sia Ngauja has been working closely with department chair Dr. Dave Gussak on the design of the “I AM Gaines Street” mural. She provided us with some insight into the process. When asked about the inspiration for the design, Sia stated:
As for inspiration it took me some time to figure out what to do but I was given guidelines by Dr. Gussak, my supervisor, and then I later brainstormed with a mini team or cohort of students who were also on the mural team with me. Dr. Gussak’s guidelines was that I needed to try to embody what Gaines Street was about, as well as give homage to the arts and the last mural done by the department that was being torn down.
It was important that the mural not only be aesthetically engaging but also reflect the atmosphere and artistic culture of Gaines street. Sia, along with her mural committee comprised of fellow Art Therapy students Evie Hempler and Sharla Dyess, researched the history of Gaines street to get a sense of how to best reflect this culture. They sought to create a design that incorporated several elements that flowed together in a cohesive way.
Our final product was a mural that portrays youth doing the arts such as dancing, rapping, playing an instrument, etc. and relishing in it. We hope everyone enjoys the outcome as much as we do; painting will be Feb 7 – Feb 28.
The monumental task of painting this 12′ x 75′ mural will begin on February 7th and run through February 28th. The community is welcome and encouraged to participate beginning on the 9th.
General Information
“I AM Gaines Street”
Date: February 7 – 28; public participation starting on February 9th
Location: 651 West Gaines Street Tallahassee, FL 32304
For specific information regarding the painting schedule, please see the Facebook event page: Community Mural for Opening Nights.
You can also follow #FSUpaintTally on Twitter and Facebook!