North Atlanta High School is home to 2300 students, each with different aspirations, ethnicities, hobbies, and pursuits. Capturing the diversity of such a large student body is an incredible undertaking. During the 2023-2024 school year, Visual Arts Instructor Allison Shepard began her vision to take on this unimaginable task–with a paintbrush. Partnering with PaintLove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to collaborating with youth artists in powerful art pieces, Shepard began to bring her dream to life. Typically, the common mural is done by either one talented student or an organization. However, the Legacy Mural was envisioned to be something more.
Beginning this endeavor was not for the weak. Before designing the mural, there were many site visits to determine where the art would be displayed, not only for visual pleasure but also for placements that would create an impact. PaintLove was brought into the project in the summer of 2024. Zoom meetings were held with the former Principal, Curtis Douglass, to begin brainstorming for the operation. Together, Shepard and Douglass with PaintLove chose Atlanta-based PaintLove artist Sway Jones to design the piece. Jones helped create a mural at Howard Middle School, also in Atlanta Public Schools (APS). Shepard made it clear to Jones that her concept was to be tailored to the specific locations of North Atlanta. She developed the idea to integrate the artwork with the student body and the National Art Honor Society (NAHS). “Art should not just exist in a space–it should belong to it, shaping and reflecting the community it lives in. That is the purpose of this mural–to connect and leave an everlasting impact,” said Shepard.
Throughout the 2024 fall semester, two steps were taken to collect data that would help Jones curate an official design. First, NAHS officers created Google Forms that would be sent out to the student body, faculty, and staff. The questions asked the students, “What does it mean to be a North Atlanta student?” “What does it mean to have symbolism?” and “What are important aspects of being a student?” “What do you wish that adults knew about your generation?” Second, PaintLove, Shepard, and the NAHS officers held small group sessions combining meditation, symbolism, and drawing techniques to help the students envision what they wanted to be their legacy. With this, Jones began her process to compile the data into two designs. The school’s environment and the large array of sports, clubs, and arts stood out to Jones after touring the campus. “I felt compelled to incorporate the school’s lake and the elements of the student’s interests into my art to truly show what North Atlanta is all about,” said Jones.
Now, all that was left to do was paint. With Douglass and the current Interim Principal Dr. Angela Mitchell’s permission, Shepard was able to have a variety of elective classes come in and begin painting. The students who painted varied from Sydney Haag’s Peer Leadership students to foreign language students, ROTC students, and the MOID Regional students, all the way to the students with disabilities. Ambassadors such as seniors Ava Fiore and Eric Contis from NAHS led these students in the hands-on procedure. They also worked to help guide individuals who had little to no prior experience with art or painting; some had never even been offered the opportunity to be a part of something as impactful as the Legacy Mural Project. “Seeing such a diverse group of students come together in one room to work on something that represented a little bit about everyone was genuinely memorable for me,” said Fiore.
The completion of the Legacy Mural marks a historic moment for North Atlanta High School – one that reflects its diverse and distinctive student body. What began as Shepard’s vision turned into a collaborative masterpiece that brought together students from all parts of the school. Through creativity and teamwork, the two murals will hang off of the bridges in the front lobby and in the atrium to define the individuality that is the Warrior community. The murals allow future generations of students to see not only a reflection of their school but also the legacy left behind by those who walked there before them.
