Our Park East High School students explored the school’s motto as inspiration for the Rhythms of 105 murals: “Purpose, Pride, Preparation.” The project included two walls, one outside and the second indoors. The outdoor mural is on a classic archway facing 105th Street and pays homage to the rich Puerto Rican history and culture of El Barrio. A woman stands in the middle in traditional Puerto Rican clothing holding a bowl of traditional Puerto Rican food. To her left, a man plays guitar. The music notes travel to the woman on the right. A banner of flags representing the students who attend the school wraps around, inspired by the wall of flags inside the school. Above the banner is an airplane inspired by many students’ dreams to travel overseas in the future. 

The indoor mural adorns a staircase outside the school’s library. The banner of flags continues here, ending above a student writing the school’s motto in her journal. A basketball player on her left represents the students’ love and involvement in sports. The floating drawings between the students were taken directly from art done by students designing the mural. One of these drawings is an abstract self portrait – an apple, to represent NYC, wearing a pair of sunglasses to show her Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage, and a rat as the mouth, a beloved yet sometimes misunderstood cultural symbol. A beach frames the bottom of the mural inspired by many of the students hailing from Caribbean countries.

Park East HS: Rhythms of 105 (2024)