Alley Art Project: Student Exhibition Opening Reception & Mural Design Unveiling

Free and open to family and friends of HSLC students | No registration required
Location: The Rockwell Museum 

Refreshments will be served 

5:15 p.m. | Opening Remarks  

Join us as we celebrate the opening of a new student exhibition for the Alley Art Project with Teaching Mural Artist, Shawnee Rebekah Morning Dove Hill. This student reception will reveal the 2025 mural design, focusing on places of collective memory, and celebrate the collaboration between The Rockwell Museum and the High School Learning Center (HSLC) of the Corning-Painted Post Area School District. Inspired by Teresa Baker’s Yellow Prairie Grass work of art in The Rockwell’s collection, this year’s mural design reflects meaningful landscapes and memories of students in our community. The mural project also connects to The Rockwell’s annual theme of Color!, exploring abstract expressions of color in nature and seasonal changes in our upstate New York environment.  

HSLC students will also share about their participation in the Smithsonian Youth Leadership Team, a national program led by the National Museum of American History. The Rockwell is one of four Smithsonian Affiliate museums participating, along with delegates from Michigan, Texas, and North Carolina. The program focuses on engaging students in discussions, sharing insights, and learning diverse perspectives about the history of democracy, social justice, and relevant social and national issues faced by teens today, with the 2025 theme centered on “Education.” 

About Artist Shawnee Rebekah Morning Dove Hill 

Shawnee Hill is a multidisciplinary artist and tattooist inspired by nature and human connections. Growing up in the tranquil landscapes of Bloomfield, NY, they found early inspiration in the dense forests, shifting seasons, and natural patterns. Beginning in their grandmother’s porcelain doll studio, they developed a passion for detail and storytelling through imagery. Their artistic practice includes illustration, murals, bookbinding, and tattooing, and is rooted in intentionality and collaboration, ensuring each piece of the process carries meaning and flows organically. Their work reflects a deep appreciation for transformation, balance, and engagement that strengthens collective identity. Committed to fostering community through art, Hill contributes to collaborative projects and public murals that bring people together and encourage connection, healing, and shared experiences. 

About Alley Art Project

The Alley Art Project is a unique educational mural program designed to connect local students to both The Rockwell collection and their community at large. The Rockwelll has partnered with the Corning-Painted Post High School Learning Center (HSLC) since the program’s inception in 2010, working with youth to beautify public spaces. The program has included many organizations during its lifespan, including the Laura Richardson Houghton Corning Youth Center (2012), and more recently SUNY Corning Community College (2022, 2024). The Alley Art Project embraces start-to-finish, project-based learning initiatives with the idea that public art has the power to bring people together, encourage conversation and ignite the imagination. 

Each mural project is inspired by art in The Rockwell’s collection and enables students to meaningfully contribute to the aesthetics of the community. Students are guided by artists and educators through the creative process by questioning ideas relevant to the project theme and selected objects. This holistic program gives students the opportunity to use the arts for exploration and self-expression, fostering safe dialogue and developing a stronger sense of self.  

The 2025 Alley Art Project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Triangle Fund, and the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc.