The 2024 Alley Art Project highlights the layers of connections between students and their peers, friends, families and people that surround them. The Rockwell Museum, in collaboration with the High School Learning Center (HSLC) of the Corning-Painted Post Area School District, worked with students and Teaching Mural Artist Alice Mizrachi to design a public art mural for the new Schuyler Hall Maker Space at SUNY Corning Community College (CCC). This student exhibition celebrates the 16th Alley Art Project and takes inspiration from artist Romare Bearden in The Rockwell’s collection, as well as the Museum’s annual theme, Creating Connections. Students created individual self-portrait collages. Elements from the student work are incorporated into the mural design.
Romare Bearden, The Conversation, 1979. Lithograph on paper, ed. 82/175, 18×25 inches. Clara S. Peck Fund. 2019.5
Students thought about how art can provide a powerful platform to convey a message or an idea, voice important issues and enlighten people to see beyond a singular perspective. They looked closely at Bearden’s lithograph prints and examined his art-making process. Bearden incorporates mixed-media collage and symbolism into his art, focusing on personal identity, cultural heritage and community connections. With numerous lifetime achievements, Bearden focused on using the arts to engage people in conversation and improve understanding of issues faced by the African American community. Students considered how art in public spaces can impact people in their day-to-day lives and how their youthful voices can be amplified through an artistic, expressive mural project in Corning, NY.
The mural project explores connections between the HSLC students and their surrounding environments, such as the cosmos, flora and fauna in nature, the CCC campus and their community. Students were guided by the following questions:
How do these connections reveal aspects of their identities?
What aspects of their identities shine through these connections?
How do these connections spark ideas for growth and change?
Students created mixed-media self-portraits inspired by Bearden’s print, The Conversation and other collage works of art on view at The Rockwell. They experimented with layering paint, magazine cut-outs, found objects and other materials to incorporate symbolism. As part of the project process, students used image transfer to add a photo of themselves into their composition. They played with layering elements in the background, midground and foreground to create a visual narrative that represents how their unique identities are connected to their larger community.
Mural Location: Schuyler Hall Maker Space at SUNY Corning Community College (interior wall), 1 Academic Drive, Corning, NY 14830
Cosmic Connections mural will be painted September 19 – 27 indoors at CCC Schuyler Hall Maker Space, culminating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Visit RockwellMuseum.org/events for more information.
This vibrant mural design serves as a visual representation of the meaningful symbols that were shared and discussed by HSLC students over the course of our 10 collaborative classes with Alice Mizrachi. It captures the essence of collective creativity and the rich conversations that highlight their cosmic-themed community connections. The central tree with lungs symbolizes the reliance on nature and breathing clean air to live and thrive. The student contour line figures embody transparency, seeds of growth, environmental connections and the courage to empower and enact change. Each element reflects the diverse ideas, insights, and inspirations that have been woven together to create a powerful visual narrative.
