Tracy Van Duinen, Kristi Murray, and Kim Jones discuss the mural. Photo courtesy of Paul Goyette.
On a beautiful fall evening that felt more like summer, about 50 people gathered at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School for the dedication of the Gwendolyn Brooks tribute mosaic.
The 330-square-foot mosaic includes depictions of Brooks, Maya Angelou, Jane Addams, Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama, as well as hundreds of strategically placed tiles along two sides of the school building.
Teaching artists Tracy Van Duinen, Kristi Murray, and Kim Jones spoke about how the idea for the mural came together and the process involved in creating it. Students from Brooks’ Speech, Drama, and Debate class read Brooks’ poems, including “The Wall,” one of the inspirations for the work.
Oak Park Education Foundation is grateful for the community support the mural has received. Over 80 community members and businesses bought tiles to help fund the project.
We’ve received some great news coverage of the project. You can read more here:
A Birthday Present for Gwendolyn