The Animation State

  • The mural overlooks a new playground, complete with a basketball court.
  • The mosaics featured in “The Four Seasons” started as fanciful construction paper collages.
  • Each of the mosaics tells a micro-story about the season it highlights, using whimsy and bird imagery.
  • The main character in “The Animation State” meets many friends along his/her journey through imagination, including peace, unity, and progress.
  • After painting the beautiful “The Animation State,” the SLI team gathers for a group photo.
  • Over the course of the mural, the main character experiences nature, music, sports, and dancing. Eventually his/her path leads into the school building.

Project Description

Through “The Animation State,” alumni from the Future Leadership Institute returned to their school to paint a mural celebrating the role of imagination in self-discovery. The youth artists opted to create a mural without straightforward historical or cultural iconography. As many had a strong interest in animation and cartoons, the group selected this style to tell its story. The mural’s title, “The Animation State,” illustrates the freedom animated people enjoy compared to their real-world counterparts. A child with pajamas – the main character – leaves behind a black and white world to enter a colorful world where (s)he travels through fantastic places and meets with fun and welcoming friends. “The Animation State” looks over a newly re-designed playground built by The Trust for Public Land and is adjacent to “The Four Seasons,” a series of mosaics by Groundswell youth artists. “Nature’s Song,” a mural led by Groundswell artist Cornell Jones, is located on the 122nd Street entrance to the school.

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Project Info

Fun Facts

Quote
“Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn.” – Norman McLaren, Canadian animator and film director
Question about the Mural
“The Animation State” was inspired by comic and cartoon styles. What is your favorite animated movie or show?
Fun Fact
Mickey Mouse, the famous mascot of Walt Disney Studios, was originally named “Mortimer Mouse.” Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian, convinced her husband to change it.