OHHS Art and Design teacher Jamie Schorsch will be contributing to the public art legacy of Hamilton, OH this summer through the StreetSpark program. Formed through a partnership between the City of Hamilton and the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, StreetSpark is a program founded to further the art identity in the city through exciting public art projects. This program creates arts engagement by producing high-quality murals, building opportunities for local artists, and enhancing the visual appeal of the city. StreetSpark brings visible murals and artwork into the community with the goal of fueling Hamilton with art.
Schorsch recently had her design, "Inspiring the Future", selected and will be leading a team of artists in painting the artwork on the Booker T. Washington Community Center.
Learn more about the design through Schorsch's Artist Statement below: “Inspiring the Future”, designed for the Booker T. Washington Community center, was in part inspired by the Harlem Renaissance works of artist, illustrator, and art educator Aaron Douglas. The compositional design unifies concepts of community and aspirations for future pathways in life through the energy of the Cubist-inspired elements and illustrative and symbolic nature synthesized from Douglas’ work. Color palettes prevalent during the 1940s, when the Booker T. Washington Community Center was opened, inspired the triadic color scheme for the work designed to harmonize with the architectural structure. Colors were additionally selected for their symbolism. Blue illustrates a balance of mind and body and a sense of tranquility. Purple evokes emotions related to calming peace, stability, and energy while communicating ideals of ambition, creativity, wisdom, and independence. Yellow exudes a sensation of happiness, optimism, and enlightenment. Green is utilized to represent the color of life, renewal and growth within an environment. The emphasis of the Booker T. Washington Community Center as a means for providing a nurturing environment and enrichment for youth and teens through various programs serves as the primary inspiration for the imagery embedded within the mural design. The landscape alludes to possible places on the horizon for the future of the children inhabiting the environment. Elements of inspirational figures from Hamilton, OH are symbolically woven into the composition. Moving between the children are spheres, radiating energy outwards, that depict inspirational figures related to the center's history. The linear element flowing through the center of the composition symbolizes roadways, or possible pathways, and is designed to evoke an association with bars of music and the influence of Roger Troutman. Icons associated with possibilities for the future are inspired by the community contributions of Robert Watson, Butch Hubble, Allen Ray, Reverand J.L. Francis, and Katherine Rumph as well as other professions. The icons are reflected in the bubbles that pass playfully between the two children anchoring the composition. The colors of elements within the piece are emphasized, and reflected on the faces of the children, as a means to illustrate the dialogue of their impact
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