Mr. Tinsley has said “The ubiquitous colors, or colors that are prevalent in both school and in prison is gray. It kind of keeps people in the mindset of complicity. So, for schools, especially for our wonderful school, I would like students to be happy in the hallways”. Last year Aleya Berry made her mural called Outlet of Hope in the commons adding some color to our spaces. Tinsley is continuing his mission this year.
Naveena Srinivasan, senior at RAHS, approached Tinsley with the ideas for a new mural in the music wing.
Srinivasan’s passtion for art and music inspired her idea. She said, “I’ve been playing music for a very long time in band and I know last year Mr. McKnight told me that the music department they wanted a mural because they really liked Aleya’s career mural last year… Aleya told us last year that she wanted to bring color to the school which is real because the school is pretty boring gray especially after the remodel.”
One of the big messages Srinivasan hoped to get across is inclusivity and fluidity. “My art style is pretty abstract I don’t like putting specific people, colors, genders in my artwork so I want to show anyone can play music no matter what you look like or your background that’s the big thing,” she said.
The journey to the final product was filled with trial and error. “In the beginning I didn’t know what I wanted… I took [inspiration] from jazz street murals and… from southern areas and incorporated that into my work. … It took me long to find a design I liked and to finally be happy with my draft,” Srinivasan said.
One of the things that helped when designing the incoming mural was talking to the students. Srinivasan states, “I got info from the music teachers and students … that was helpful and gave me confidence with my final draft.”
Tinsley said he hopes the mural will, “help to amplify their passion for their given content area.”
This is a very prominent factor in Srinivasan’s mural and design work. She did a lot of research to make sure everyone felt seen.
“It was hard incorporating not just band into it because I’m in band so like band and the other classes plus jazz elements working with all the different teachers helped,” she said.
Srinivasan has been involved in art for as long as she can remember and is excited about her final products.
