New mural at Henderson-Hopkins School reflects student collaboration

There's plenty of summer vacation left, but Henderson-Hopkins is already sprucing up for fall.

On July 18, the Eager Park school unveiled a colorful ground plane mural on the walkway leading to the main entrance. The mural is the work of Baltimore artist Jordan Lawson, who collected more than 200 worksheets full of design ideas from students this past school year. The resulting painting incorporates sunshine, flowers, an outline of the neighborhood's iconic rowhomes, mathematical symbols, books, and a bright blue sky featuring the soaring silouhette of an eagle—Henderson-Hopkins' mascot.

"One thing that we loved about the ideas from the students is that they share a common theme of positivity. Just having the simple placement of a sky, sun, or flowers is motivating to everyone in the community," Lawson said. "They increase the energy and mood of anyone that experiences the mural."

Henderson-Hopkins' new art teacher, Claire Molina, spearheaded the mural project by writing the grant proposal, securing the grant, and selecting Jordan Lawson as the artist. The mural was made possible by a $5,000 Arts Every Day Public Art Grant for Baltimore City Public Schools to support large scale, permanently installed projects that connect individual schools to local artists or organizations and their surrounding community, serving as a source of pride and fostering an appreciation for art and its influence on communities.