New Mural Painted at English High School

While people escaped July’s heat wave going to the beach or huddled inside air-conditioned rooms, 10 Boston-area students were braving the elements to paint a mural on the grandstand wall behind the football field.  

“It was brutal,” said Heidi Schork, director of the Mayor’s Mural Crew. “Also, we had no shade.”

The mural consists of trophy statues of soccer, basketball, and baseball players, plus runners. The mural was also the crew’s first project for the summer, meaning most had no prior experience.

The impetus for the project came from English headmaster Sito Narcisse, who gave Schork free rein. She decided on an abstract painting based on the trophy case inside the high school.

“I wanted to make it sports-minded, but kind of in a generic way because a lot of people use the field that don’t go to the school,” said Schork.  

The crew began work on the project July 6 and finished up 19 days later. The first three days were spent prepping as the wall was covered with old paint and graffiti.

“We had to scrape off layers and layers of awful paint,” said Schork.

But with hard work comes gratification as from what Schork has heard, everybody loves it and the headmaster is very happy.

“There was a huge satisfaction walking away once we finished the job,” said Schork. “We weren’t going to leave until it was done.”

One person in particular who might derive a little more satisfaction is Gabriela Barroso, who will have an opportunity to see the mural often as she attends English this year.

“I think it was awesome for her,” said Schork.