The Scarritt Elementary School murals are an ongoing community project lead by instructor Hector Casanova to beautify a closed school building in the historic Northeast neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. The city contacted Casanova about the project in April of this year after he made an open call for any organizations that had an interest in community art. Casanova began planning immediately after the city informed him that there were some three hundred panels to be painted in order for the project to reach completion. Thus, a new annual project began — students in their fall semester of their junior year now have the chance to make a large scale work that will be appreciated by the community for years to come. This is the first time the KCAI illustration department has had the opportunity to become so involved in the community and leave their mark on the city.
Scarritt Elementary before the murals were installed.
The first group installing their murals!
Every class in the illustration department is divided into two sections that switch instructors after midterms. Each junior section chooses their own smaller group to present and execute an idea for each component of the larger mural, working together on concepts and themes that revolve around the community and it’s wishes for the art that will enhance their neighborhood. Some of these themes as suggested by the residents include cultural representation, cooperation, and growth. Presently, with the first half of the semester behind us you can find eight completed murals already installed at the school with the next group following quickly behind.
The second section of the class working hard on their murals.
The school is located at 3509 Anderson Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri, 64123 if you would like to visit these amazing murals as they continue to progress throughout the fall semesters!
For more photos as well as a behind the scenes look at how the panels are coming together, check out the Scarritt Elementary School Mural Project page on Facebook, here: https://www.facebook.com/ScarrittElementarySchoolMurals
Post written by Johannah Miller and Taylor Fourt