KELLY SHERMAN

Wish Wall Mural

began with an interest in the idea of hopefulness, as well as the relationships between community art murals, Conceptual Art, graffiti, and "cover-ups"—places where graffiti has been painted out, "rollered," or simply covered up. Using wishes as its focal point, the mural was an ideal tool for explaining Conceptual Art. After a series of lessons related to the project, fourth-graders from Graham & Parks Alternative Public School each wrote a personal wish on one brick of the Cambridge wall, then painted over it. The following day, community members gathered to add their own wishes to the wall. Children, teenagers, retirees, police officers, and construction workers all added wishes. Some people kept their wishes private and others were eager to share, but everyone sealed their wishes into the wall with a coat of paint. Having accumulated more than four-hundred wishes, the wall is a testament to the hopefulness of the community and a reminder to keep those hopes alive. The project was comprehensively documented on the website www.wishwallmural.com.