PS/MS 183Q: I Dream Of Spaces for Us to Grow Together

This is the 8th year Thrive has received the Art as Catalyst for Change Grant for
PS/MS 183Q. Council member Donovan Richards awarded Thrive Collective the Anti-Gun Violence Initiative continuously over the past 6 years, and District 31’s current Council member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers has continued the tradition.

For this project, Thrive has teamed with SONYC, the after-school program for
middle school already established within the school. The project lasted about 17 weeks, from start to finish, taking place during after school hours.
Students at MS 183 collaboratively decided to use gardens as the theme and
inspiration for the design of this year’s murals. Four murals are located on the second floor stairwell doorways, and one mural is a redesign of the front doors for the school building.

Each week during our sessions, students came up with ideas, designs, and sketches of various scenes, landscapes, flowers, garden creatures, and feelings they wanted to represent in the final piece. The goal was to create a welcoming, serene, and peaceful atmosphere for everyone who comes to the school, and for the elementary school students who utilize the second floor the most.

Gardens represent growth, prosperity, care, and a space for communities to
gather. We were also inspired by the small garden that the school has near the front entrance, where flowers and plants are blooming. Each design has elements from student artworks. We hope the murals we created together will bring color, joy, and inspiration to these spaces.

PS/MS 183Q Dr. Richard Green School: I Dream Of Spaces for Us to Grow Together (2023)