St. Peter’s High School students celebrate togetherness, respect and equality in the Learning Commons through collaboration, communication and creativity.
When you enter their school and travel through the hallways and into Learning Commons, you are greeted by a colourful wall-size mural dedicated to the beauty and the “Celebration of Diversity.” The sense of student, staff and community wellness jumps right off the wall and instils pride in those who took part in this community engagement project.
The mural is thanks to the collaboration of local professional artist Jimmy Baptiste and St. Peter students. As a Black artist, Jimmy is passionate about celebrating the Black community through art, involving people from different backgrounds and bringing everyone together to create art that speaks to the acceptance, wellness and celebration of the Black community.
Students from the Black Student Association, the Equity Committee, Student Council, and others were involved in making the mural. Jimmy allowed the students to be part of the inspiration, the design and even the actual artwork by using Jimmy’s “paint-by-numbers” style.
The project’s face in the mural’s centre was adapted from a design by a young Black student named Sylvia, who initially didn’t feel she could contribute to an art project. Yet, in the end, her design ended up being at the centre of the whole mural! Her smile said it all – she felt pride and confidence in her abilities. This art project was more than a mural. It was the coming together of the community to embrace equality and celebrate the well-being of students.