Craig and Karl, Again and Again, 2017, acrylic paint, PS 376, Queens 

For PS 376 in Queens, the artist collective Craig & Karl created a painted mural on the main wall and ceiling of the school’s lobby entrance. The artwork consists of a brightly colored mandala-like circle, over fifteen feet in diameter, made up of smaller circles and other geometric forms. Towards the top of the big circle, the mural bursts out like a rainbow into bands of color across the expansive ceiling. The artwork is meant to serve as a metaphor for a student surrounded by their community. The central circles represent an individual student, while the adjacent circles represent the other students, teachers and family that make up the student’s community. The upward motion of the pyramid shapes and lines reference the student’s educational growth and development. The shapes were inspired by local landmarks like the neighboring family homes and the nearby Throngs Neck Bridge. Surrounded by their community and learning environment, the student grows beyond the school and out into the world.