Founded five years ago by Corina Nottingham, the mural club began as a place for people to come together and create large scale art projects collaboratively, while partnering with Berkeley High School, other Berkeley Unified School District schools, and small businesses.
While exiting the lower breezeway and walking towards the campus green, it is hard to miss the captivating mural covering the old shed sitting next to the back of the G building. Made by the mural club, it was not just created to add more beauty to the campus green area, but also to memorialize the tree that was cut down in place of the shed.
“It is impactful to make art that shows outreach to the community, but also is about something that you care about and has a message behind it,” Rahki Hull, a BHS senior and one of the four club co-presidents, said. Hull, who has been a member since her freshman year, believes that the murals are more than just nice to look at, but instead a way to express yourself and connect a community.
“I know that seniors and juniors are typically more stressed out, I think when I was a junior and I was stressed out a lot, going to these painting sessions and just being able to work on a large piece of art with my friends was a fun way to spend a weekend and de-stress,” Hull said.
In the past four years, the club has grown substantially. Before, club leaders would have to reach out to different establishments and schools, pitching the idea of a mural. Now, the club is being commissioned to work on different projects, including a potential mural for the Berkeley Public Library.
The process for actually getting a mural started is more simple than one might think. During the lunch meetings every Friday, the club gets together to discuss ideas, making sure to get input from everyone before finalizing designs.
“I hope that people feel like their voices can be heard through some of our murals and have some of their, either political or just personal beliefs, shared with the world,” Enzo Trautman, BHS sophomore and club co-president said. By highlighting different displays of student activism, the Mural Club hopes to convey the importance of the issues presented through painting. Being able to express political ideologies, personal principals, and opinions on different issues through their use of mural art, the Mural Club hopes to bridge gaps between differing values, ideas, and beliefs.