FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Roots Charter School Students and Staff Paint Public Mural Project Inspired by Sustainability, Community & Imagination
May 21, 2025
Ithaca, NY – During Intensives Week of Spring 2025, a special week at New Roots Charter School dedicated to immersive, hands-on learning, a group of 12 students transformed a blank wall in downtown Ithaca into a bold and inspiring public mural that expresses their vision for a just and sustainable future. Located at 102 The Commons, this mural reflects weeks of preparation through the Public Art and Visual Communication class at New Roots, where students explored how art can express values, spark change, and represent the world they want to build.
The mural’s concept, centered on themes of sustainability, community, and imagination, emerged from weeks of collaborative design work. Students were challenged to reflect on what New Roots stands for, what kind of future they want to help create, and how visual art can make those values visible to the public. Drawing inspiration from EarthForce, the school’s green careers initiative supported by a Tompkins County Community Recovery Fund grant, and the vision of sustainable technologies as the industry of the future, students brainstormed imagery that reflected renewable energy, environmental restoration, and harmony between people and the planet.
The final mural includes vibrant, student-inspired elements such as wind turbines, people farming, solar panels, and lake cleanup, all of which are infused with local relevance, including references to the Cayuga Wetlands Restoration Project and Ithaca’s own environmental legacy. One particularly symbolic feature is a deer, representing the vulnerability and resilience of youth in the face of climate and social conflict. Every element, from the smallest sunbeam to the broadest themes of peace and harmony, came directly from students’ individual drawings, then woven together under the artistic guidance of Terrance Vann, a local muralist and Artist in Residence at New Roots.
While students led the design phase, the project proposal and coordination with the building owner were developed by Terrance Vann and Patrick Lynch, with essential support from Ithaca Murals and Caleb Thomas, who helped secure the mural’s prominent location directly across New Roots and guide the process from concept to execution. The project was funded by a generous grant from the Park Foundation that supports a collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Energy Warriors program to establish green career preparation for all New Roots students.
Throughout the week, community members regularly stopped to offer encouragement, ask questions, and watch the mural take shape, turning this project into a live, interactive art experience for the entire downtown community. Ultimately, this project reflects the heart of New Roots: a school grounded in sustainability, community connection, and the belief that young people can shape the world around them. It stands as a visual commitment to peace, creativity, and a livable future.
New Roots Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school serving grades 6-12 open to any young person eligible to attend secondary school in New York State. Offering a private school education at a public school price (free to students!), young people prepare for lives of passion and purpose as they prepare to create and embrace new 21st century life opportunities through career and college preparation. Visit newrootsschool.org to learn more.
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For more information, contact Michael Mazza, Director of Community Engagement at New Roots Charter School, at mmazza@newrootsschool.org.