Gallery • 6 Photos

Jordan Rosenberg

1. The empty cafeteria wall where the UMass x DHS mural once was.

School is hectic from the minute you walk through the doors in the morning. You see a hundred different faces as students and teachers bustle around the hallways—all while you’re trying to figure out what class you’re going to next. But do you ever stop and look at our school? Are you aware of what makes up its walls, or what marks have been left by past students? Murals in DHS serve as a daily reminder to us to slow down and appreciate the space and people around us.

As the school year goes flying by, it is easy to walk through the halls without taking notice of the murals and artwork around you. They become a blur of color in the everyday routine of going from first period, to second period, to PASE, and so on. 

Each mural is unique and has its own story. 

Recently, the colorful mural on the back cafeteria wall was taken down, yet to be replaced with anything (1). It almost resembled the Dartmouth Indian mascot, but nobody really knows what the meaning behind the artwork was or what it originally intended to look like. While describing the history behind DHS’ murals, art teacher Christine McFee explained that the piece started as a collaboration between the UMass Dartmouth and DHS community. The Chancellor of UMass pushed for a mural to be made, but eventually the mural was left for DHS students to finish on their own—without the original plan of what it should look like. The mural was not installed to be permanent, and it was indeed removed. 

When walking down the hall on B High, there is an abstract mural of space, and a hand holding a planet on a string, with a sign reading “You are a Wonderful Use of Space” (2). Entitled Galaxy Dreams, this mural was made by a single student, Emerson Lawton, through the approval of the school committee. Lawton left her mark on the school, as well as a positive message for the generations of students who came after her. 

In the cafeteria near the exits, there is a large black and white mural of a man’s face, composed of 20 different tiles (3). This was originally a drawing from an Art Two class, who created it as an enrichment of the self-portrait unit. The drawing was of Mr. Paul Humason, who worked as a hall monitor at DHS for years. He continues to sub for teachers and hall monitors today. The mural went up around 2015, and continues to bring life, character, and DHS history to the cafeteria. 

As you walk past the art rooms on A Floor, you can’t help but notice the unique tiles that line the walls, each one created by a former DHS student (4). The tile project was a simple, accessible project that left ample room for student creativity and expression. This can clearly be seen in the diverse portrayals of each tile, such as pictures of nature, instruments, and sports. The project, which started back in 2011, was made possible by a S.T.A.R.S. Residency Grant sponsored by the MA Cultural Council. The project is named “Leave Your Mark on Dartmouth High: A Personalized Tile Project.” The tiles can also be seen in the hall leading up to the library (5).

In exciting news, the English department received a grant to create murals for their hallways based on books that their classes are reading (6). A mural based on Lord of the Flies is the most recent in the works. Once completed, it will be the first to go up this year. The talented DHS Art Club is creating the mural series, with hopes for more grants so more murals can be created. 

Plus, the murals add a great deal of personality to our school. Art teacher and Art Club advisor Julia Dickinson stressed the importance of the school’s recent attempts to “deinstitutionalize” the building. She believes that lining the hallways with art created by DHS students does the real work in changing the school’s atmosphere, rather than just interior design changes to polish things up. She feels that “there should be an essence of life that the students bring to the school.” Ms. McFee has similar views, in that murals introduce color and energy to the school environment. 

What makes the murals special is that each has a specific theme or message it’s trying to get across to the community. These messages reflect the views, passions, and experiences of DHS students past and present. It is a way for students to share their ideas in a creative way and leave their personal mark on the school. “Our students have a lot of talent and a lot they want to get across—not only to their peers, but to the next generation,” Ms. Dickinson said.

Next time you are walking around the halls of DHS (which will probably be very soon), take a second out of the busy, hectic school day to notice and appreciate the murals that surround us and give life to the school.