A summer art program in which three East Leyden High School students had a chance to create murals under the tutelage of a professional muralist paid off in several ways, said one of the organizers of the program.
The students, Adeline Bieniarz, Sofia Soto and Angelica Urbina, all Rosemont residents, worked under the guidance of Rahmaan Statik Barnes, a professional muralist who also worked with a group of students last summer during the same summer work program.
The three participated in Rosemont’s summer job program open to high school and college students
“The whole thing is we wanted to provide summer work for art students but also give them a leg up toward a second career in art. What better way than with a professional artist,” said Omar Camarillo, program director at the Rosemont Park District and one of the projects organizers.
The murals are unique as they feature iconic art presented with a Rosemont “twist.” For example, the “Mona Lisa” and “American Gothic” are identifiable, but a part of the content refers to a place and/or a landmark in Rosemont.
Angelica Urbina worked on the Dora Maar painting of Pablo Picasso. It included three roses to symbolize Rosemont. She also worked on a Keith Haring piece that included a large rose in the center.
Barnes said the program had several features.
“It was kind of like an art history course,” combined with its painting side, he said.
Mural work has been in existence “thousands of years,” he said. The students were part of a group of 14 in all, working on space that stretched nearly two city blocks, with the murals measuring 15 to 18 feet tall, he said.
Students learned the value of pursuing a goal through “hard work, effort and dedication,” he said.
The mural summer job program was open to Rosemont residents only.
