The Game of Not Playing

  • "The Game of Not Playing" now resides in the principle's office of GED Plus, inspiring visitors to create their own success.
  • Participants collaborated to adapt the "Game of Life" metaphor to their own experiences.
  • Participants developed imagery to convey their stories and the stories of others like them.
  • The students learn how to grid their design and begin to fabricate their vision.
  • The community stakeholders come together to celebrate and honor the student's creation.
Groundswell

Project Description

“The Game of Not Playing” was developed in partnership with the GED Plus Regional High School in the Bronx. Inspired by their own educational experiences, the student artists explored the meaning of “success” and how individuals can define success for themselves. As a community, they sought to advocate for themselves and others who take creative paths towards education and achievement. They developed imagery to shed light on how the traditional high school experience can fail to engage many students. Playing off of “The Game of Life,” mural depicts students navigating a large game board to graduation and a GED. Much of the imagery includes obstacles and issues the youth face as they work their way to graduation and their own choices for success, including parenthood, financial pressures, and immigration to the United States where a foreign diploma is not honored by the American system. The mural project serves as a vehicle to discuss how the educational system might change to better support all students, and honors individuals who leave traditional high schools and yet fight to continue their education.
 

 
 
 

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Project Info

Location: 1010 Rev James A Polite Ave Bronx, NY 10459

Fun Facts

Legend Symbol
City Upon A Hill. Throughout the ages, this phrase has refered to a model society. It was used by John Winthrope (a European colonist) to describe American excpetionalism, by Plato, and it even appears in the Bible's "Sermon on the Mount."
Suggested Activity
Through this mural, the artists advocated for their ability to create their own path towards success. What does success mean to you?
Question about the Mural
What obstacles and opportunties did the artists include in their version of the "Game of Life"? What imagery or symbols did they use to represent these?