Art, Activism, and Anniversary Manifest in New Mural

Upper School artists presented their latest mural and announced a school-wide artistic project coinciding with the school’s 125th Anniversary.

Artists in the Upper School National Art Honor Society club meet weekly with Art teacher and Advisor Kay Silva to work independently and in groups on artistic projects. Public murals have provided this group with an outlet for expression during the past three academic years, offering Parker artists a regular opportunity to transform the school’s hallways into rich visual reflections of current events, history, and community identity.

As part of the 125th anniversary week Morning Ex, student members of NAHS spoke about the murals they have produced that use art as a response to real-world issues.

In the 2023–24 academic year, students created the Mother Earth Gaia mural in response to national and global events—including the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran. This mural celebrates the power and beauty of the divine feminine and currently hangs in the northeast campus stairwell.

NAHS created their Immigrants’ Journey mural, which was their response to the local impact and lingering threat of ICE in Chicago, during the 2025–26 year. Drawing from personal family migration stories, students selected an abstract design to represent the varied experiences of millions of immigrants. 

After creating digital thumbnails to refine composition and tone, students collaborated with graffiti artist and art educator Elizabeth BEL Reyes to learn spray-painting, layering, blending, and nozzle techniques for the background of this piece. The foreground features collaged maps representing countries of origin, seed and petal shapes for families, geometric lines for life’s pathways and obstacles, butterflies symbolizing transformation and migration, and ethnic textile patterns celebrating preserved heritage.

The Immigrants’ Journey mural was recently installed in the northeast stairwell, one floor above the Mother Earth Gaia mural.

This past July, Silva and senior Sienna Holt created plans for a special interactive mural honoring Parker’s 125th anniversary that will be taking shape this academic year. Holt developed the design concept with guidance from Silva and Dr. Frank: The goal is to celebrate the school’s identity through carefully chosen elements from local landscape ecology (the Illinois Prairie, Lake Michigan, and native flora), historical roots (the original school building), current school spirit (the eagle mascot), and future hope (a central sunrise).

Holt and Silva spent the summer refining the imagery and composition. Holt completed the digital illustration with a thoughtful color palette using ProCreate and Photoshop apps. The final artwork was then printed in five-foot panels that will allow for indoor painting throughout the school year. Once complete, the mural will be permanently attached and sealed to the exterior of the school where 1st and 2nd graders access the turf field.

Everyone in the Parker community, including students in grades 6 and up, is welcome to help paint this historic piece. Students will have scheduled opportunities to paint throughout the year; anyone interested can contact Silva at ksilva@fwparker.org to coordinate a time to participate.

Click here to see photos.