While the general consensus around the student body is positive about our new school building, one aspect that is missed from the old building, at least by seniors who remember it, is the lack of art around the campus. In an effort to capture this beloved part of our school, the National Art Honors Society (NAHS) has decided to create a mural on campus. They will create an image that embodies everything that Chamblee represents, while also adding the fact that this is the 100th year of Chamblee.
“Presidents of [NAHS] have been talking about creating a mural around the school, ever since we transferred to the new school,” said NAHS vice president, senior Taylor Overand. “But this was the first year that we had the leadership and permission from the administration to get it done.”
After creating the idea of a mural, they needed to find a location to place their mural. After much discussion with the administration, they settled on the pictured location. The intended design is to be placed in the middle column, surrounded by advertisements on either side.
“Taylor and I had a meeting with Dr. Sauce, and presented him with a number of location choices, and he chose this one not only for its visibility, but also for the fact that it’s a good surface to paint on,” said NAHS president, senior Sydney Mckinney.
The design pictured is a rough outline of how the mural will look. It is still subject to altering, but the main idea of a bulldog surrounded by images that represent every club at Chamblee will likely outline the final idea. After a contest within NAHS not yielding any entries, Overand decided to develop the idea herself to get the idea of the ground and running.
“I came up with the idea of having the ‘100’ in the mouth of the Bulldog, and then in the background having some images of what Chamblee is all about.” said Overand. “This is not the final design, as we will still have people adding on to it and changing it before it goes on the wall.”
The logistics of creating any large piece of art can be difficult. In this case, NAHS has built a plan that they hope will lead to success. They are going to have members of the club work on it in shifts in exchange for hours that they need for the club. The administration has offered to pay for paint and provide any other supplies they need like ladders or smocks.
“Working with the administration was overall functional, although we had a few bumps in the road because some staff members have requested certain changes, which Taylor will try to incorporate in her design,” said Mckinney. “Overall, Dr. Sauce was very open-minded and accommodating, and we’ll be getting started soon.”
When approaching the entire projects, the entire club pointed towards different influences that have and will continue to guide them in this process. From artists that have graduated to famous murals around the world, inspiration can and has been drawn from numerous sources.
“I remember being a freshman in the old school, and there were tons of murals around the campus, and I remember going down the hallways and thinking that they were so good and that we had such talented artists at the school,” said Overand. “So I thought that this would be a great way to showcase the artists in our student body while commemorating our 100th anniversary as a school.”
