The mural is a collaboration between Morningside School and local artists Huck Elling and Marina Dominguez and funded through the Mill Town Foundation and MassDevelopment.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Morningside Community School students smiled and pointed as they saw their own faces in the new mural on the YMCA.
Last Friday, the multi-panel artwork was unveiled on North Street amidst a sea of bubbles and children's laughter. The project is a collaboration between local artists Huck Elling and Marina Dominguez, Morningside, Mill Town Foundation, and MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative.
"We are so thankful that Morningside School was chosen for this project," Principal Nicole Shepardson said.
"I am lucky, I get to see our students shine every single day in their classrooms and in our school but now the whole city can see you shine on this mural."
The artwork is a part of the Let It Shine! program to make art accessible to all, rebuild confidence in Pittsfield, and create stronger ties between residents and their downtown. It is partnering with Pittsfield Public Schools this year to create public art after a series of engaging workshops.
"It's music to my ears," Elling said about the children recognizing themselves in the artwork.
"We see them and they make us smile. They're so powerful. They're young but they're mighty. They have the power to make us happy and today we celebrate that."
The photographic mural stretches across four large panels and includes portraits of more than 170 students. To help share the concept, a booklet was made for each student asking what inspires them.
Elling shared that she is inspired by French photographer and street artist JR and asked what kind of mural they could make inspired by JR.
"There were places in the booklet for the students to share their design ideas and to share with us what makes them shine. We later came back and read their responses. The students showed us big smiles and focused on the eyes. We sent the booklets home to the students and invited everyone to sign up for our art project," she explained.
"We had no idea what to expect, how many kids will sign up, or what our mural would look like. We were amazed when we came back a couple of weeks later for a photoshoot with 173 kids. One by one, we asked them what they said shined and they showed us their best moves — and boy do they have moves."
She added that Dominguez captured the students' playfulness, exuberance, and deep, knowing eyes over about 3,000 photographs, which Elling then edited and arranged across the four banners. The artwork was then sent to The Swan Brothers to be printed.
"As a result, we have these gorgeous prints, almost like a time capsule because these kids are growing up right before our very eyes," she said.
"But that's the point. We see them, we see their smiles, and we smile back."
Dominguez said taking the photos was emotional because it was powerful to see the young people shining and that gave her encouragement to keep going.
"It's so powerful to use my artwork just to help shine and to highlight them," she said. "And that's my mission, personally, with the artwork to use my artwork to make my community shine."
Berkshire Family YMCA CEO Christian Bianchi said this partnership was a "no-brainer," as youth development is one of the organization's core values.
Last year, the Pittsfield location completed a $12.4 million overhaul that opened over two dozen enrollment slots and increased child-care services by 40 percent. The expanded facility includes a new infant room, an additional toddler room, an expanded preschool area, a science, technology, arts and math (STEAM) space, and a gross motor skills space.
"Kids, thank you for smiling," Bianchi said after expressing gratitude that the YMCA's was participating.
"There are many hands, many brains that come together to make these partnerships happen," Milltown's Program Manager Andy Wrba said.
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