If you have walked around Glendale High School, you may have noticed all the new murals that have been painted under the bridge by the main entrance of our school. These murals have beautified our campus and allowed students to express themselves creatively.
Ms. Hasmik Shiroyan is the teacher of a new class at GHS called Mural Making and Curating. This course has already made a big impact on our campus.
The Mural Making class was started because of a request Ms. Shiroyan received around ten years ago. The Glendale Police Department asked if the art department would paint a mural for a senior living facility, something that they had never done before. Ms. Shiroyan and her students agreed to complete the project, and after the mural was finished, many people told her how beautiful it was. Since many of her advanced art students were interested, Ms. Shiroyan took the initiative to create a class where students could paint murals on our campus.
The Mural Making and Curating course is meant to teach students how to create art for their community on a larger scale. It allows them to work together with their peers and work on lasting projects that make a difference.
But since this is the first year that GHS is offering this course, it has been a challenge for students to learn how to manage their time. They have also had to deal with bringing supplies to the quad, taking them back to the class, getting the work done and doing it all in such a short amount of time.
Ms. Shiroyan hopes “that the program grows and continues to slowly beautify the school.” This course allows students to leave a mark that will be here for decades to come.
GHS junior Lile Adamashvili enjoys being a part of this class. “We get to have artistic freedom and be able to enjoy the class with our friends, making it feel less like a class,” she said.
Additionally, Ms. Shiroyan’s students use these murals to represent the different amazing programs on our campus, such as sports, cosmetology, cinematography, art, clubs and more. These art pieces had made GHS more colorful and vibrant, allowing students to demonstrate their abilities outside of their classroom walls.
Overall, the students in this class are really proud of their work and are always striving for perfection, which sometimes makes the project take longer. Junior Denisse Cabrera said, “There is no realistic timeline for this project.” This shows how long it can take to complete a mural, but these students are dedicated to their task. If there are any mistakes, they will fix them, and they put all of their effort into making each project the best it can be.
Junior Milena Orudzhian believes that each project requires a unique method. “Depending on how detailed the mural is, and if others are contributing, that changes when the project is done,” she said. In this class, students get to work together as a group and are able to help each other build a tight bond. Each project takes time and effort, but it demonstrates how working together will always make a difference, and it is sometimes better than just working alone.
These students love the Mural Making and Curating class, and they appreciate Ms. Shioryan, as she really supports their artistic journey. This course is a new experience that is worth trying, especially if you really enjoy art. It will allow you to expand your artistic abilities and create a lasting impact on our school community.
