The Super Bowl is a heavily regarded football game that attracts millions of Americans to their TV — and their cheese dip and nachos — one day out of the year. People pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars just to make it into the stadium, decked out in wild colors of paint and jerseys for their favorite teams. This year, Atlanta got to host this very game, making North Atlanta a crucial player in its execution.

WonderRoot, a nonprofit organization whose primary objective is creating art that inspires social change, partnered with Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to create a mural in Centennial Park during the “Super Bowl Live” event. WonderRoot had already been preparing for the Super Bowl through its “Off the Wall” Initiative, which gathered artists from all over Atlanta to paint murals throughout the city for the event. They also reached out to local high schools to live paint during their festivities. “It felt really special to be part of something that the whole city could see,” said art teacher Kimberly Landers, “The kids did a great job and everyone loved it.”

North Atlanta High School, Grady High School and Carver High School were all chosen to create 6 by 6 feet paintings with virtually any medium. They were given a stipend for the supplies they would need and an eight-hour time slot on February 1, 2019. The theme? To represent social justice in Atlanta and the city as a whole.

After two weeks of brainstorming, creating sketches and spray painting on walls outside the school, seven students along with Landers and Dr. Sarah Womack, the Fine and Performing Arts Coordinator for APS, took a trip down to Centennial Park. Using spray paint and acrylic paint, they were able to create a masterpiece that would be auctioned off towards charity and North Atlanta’s Art Department. “I had a lot of fun planning out what we were going to do, but I didn’t want to mess up the final product,” said senior Ranier Truesdale.

This year, not only did the Patriots win the Super Bowl, but seven North Atlanta students experienced something that they will never forget. They created a beautiful piece of art to be proud of and got to sponsor their school at the same time. Thanks to WonderRoot and APS, they were able to participate in a live painting event not only to support the Arts and welcome people to Atlanta, but also to celebrate the city they live in.