Artwork > Community Mural Projects > Youth Projects > Afterschool Programs
Beneath the Surface, 2013
CAC/Novartis, Cambridge
Artist Tova Speter worked with youth from the Community Art Center (CAC) in Cambridge, MA to design and paint a community mural as part of a project sponsored by Novartis. Youth age 9-12 explored what is beneath the surface in their Area 4 neighborhood, including what makes the neighborhood, and the people within it, special.
As they discussed the theme and met with Novartis employees to further develop the design, they focused on the idea that their neighborhood, just like the earth, has many layers that lead to an inner core. A Community Painting Day was held during Cambridge Open Studios in which over 100 passersby stopped to take part in the mural and create a representation of themselves on the wall. The unique thumbprint of each community member served as the foundation of their artwork, highlighting the idea that the community is made of many different and uniquely special individuals. Below the art of community members one finds a layer of colorful houses meant to represent the vitality of the families in the neighborhood. A layer deeper includes flags representing the various cultures of the kids at CAC, and the inner core reveals the CAC logo of a hand with a heart, with the words: "we are all pieces of our community."
When asked what is beneath their surface the youth commented that often when people see them on the street, they don't know what's inside them. They therefore decided to share a piece of themselves by including their hopes and dreams in the shooting stars above the mural. The girl looking through the telescope serves as a reminder to "wish upon a star" and look beyond what is right in front of you. The green section on the right of the mural is a grid of the streets in the neighborhood and the mirrored silhouettes of kids encourage passersby to reflect on themselves in the community and celebrate their inner youthful spirit. Lastly, the music notes reflect the kids' love of music and their feeling that we can all rise up singing.
The mural was painted on a construction wall at the new Novartis development in Cambridge and was on display for multiple years for the duration of construction. Many thanks to Novartis for their generous support of this project and specifically to: youth artists Rafael, Johanny, Tatiana, Ashley, Kaylene, Julda, Kalier, and Alasia; CAC teacher Marie France; Novartis contact Kara Cournoyer; Skanska foreman Ian Wilson, and the 100+ community members who took a moment on a Sunday to stop to create art and contribute to this mural being a true reflection of the community spirit of the neighborhood.