Wish Wall Mural
A community art mural organized by Kelly Sherman and made by members of a local fourth grade class and the nearby community.
"I think the artist gave his artwork the title Erased de Koonine Drawing because the erased drawing was like an erased idea. Also, I think the erased drawing is like us only being able to see and realize some things. What I think is interesting about the erased drawing is that if you try hard, you can just begin to make out some of the lines, but no more than that." –Sarah
Comparing Robert Rauschenberg's "Erased deKooning Drawing" with murals, graffiti and "cover-ups":
"The Mr. R's artwork is similar to cover ups because to me they look like they were both erased. They are different because one was a famous art work and the cover ups are made for not showing the graffiti. That is how they are similar and different." –Jaylen
Explaining why a wish might need to be protected:
"A wish might need to be protected because people might not think you can do what you wish to do." –Emerson
General Opinion of the Wish Wall Mural Project After Its Completion:
"I think the Wish Wall mural is nice because some people might have wishes that they don't want anybody to know about but they might want to put it down someplace. The Wish Wall is the perfect place to put that wish." –Taplin
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.
