PS 89: Food Party

Thrive Collective returned to PS 89Q for the fifth time since the 2021-2022 school year to collaborate with students on a new mural called “Food Party.” The students worked with teaching artists Michela Muserra and Christopher Gonzales to design and paint the mural for their lunchroom.

The initial theme for the mural was simply “Food” and the Student Lighthouse Group ran with that idea until the theme shifted to “Food Party” with the students depicting their favorite foods having fun at a disco or an amusement park. They also brainstromed the various puns featured in the speech bubbles and were also responsible for the Astrocado taking flight! The mural was done on polytab to allow all the students the chance to paint freely, without having to worry about whether or not they could reach some of the higher characters. It really made the difference when a student loudly proclaimed that they would be painting their character.

During the ribbon cutting, the principal mentioned to the students that this was their legacy and that it was something that they should be proud of. Since adhering the polytab to the wall over Spring Break, we’ve heard from various teachers how excited the students that enter the cafeteria and see the mural for the first time are. That excitement drives the words of Principal La Sala home, art can be awe inspiring but it can also simply exist to bring joy.