Greg Kletsel, Step Into A World, 2021, ceramic pigment on porcelain tile and UV print on aluminum composite, PS 97 Addition, Bronx

Step Into A World is a site-specific artwork created by artist Greg Kletsel for the lobby of the new PS 97 Bronx addition. The large porcelain tile mural invites viewers into a world of childhood imagination populated by a colorful cast of characters. In this universe, an octopus can play music, an eagle can slam dunk, and you can jump rope in space. This playful world extends to a series of sixteen art panels wrapping the lobby’s soffit where individual characters are laid out side by side, like in a comic strip. The imagery for the artwork is pulled directly from the artist’s densely-filled sketchbooks, as well as collaborative drawing workshops with the students at PS 97 held as part of his Sites for Students commission.   

For Kletsel, the title of the work, Step Into A World, “reflects the endless potential for play, exploration, and discovery that happens when a child is given the freedom and encouragement to use their imagination. Whether it be inventing their own games, listening to a new song, reading their favorite book, or drawing on a blank page - new pathways of possibility are created, allowing children to learn and grow.”