On May 23, Mural Arts Philadelphia celebrated the return of its annual Art Education Student Exhibition at the Icebox Project in Kensington.

The annual exhibition is a yearly culminating event that provides students the opportunity to explore their own creativity through a specific theme.

This year’s theme was “Fairy Tales and Folklore,” in which the students were encouraged to investigate themes of fantasy, cultural and personal history, myth-making, and much more.

Mural Arts works with middle school- and high school-aged students between the ages of 10 and 18, in an afterschool capacity with more than a dozen sites throughout the city.

“A lot of our work is project-based, so artists are paired in classrooms, and they work together to create collaborative murals with our students,” said Lisa Murch, Director of Art Education at the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, during an interview. .

One of the unique elements of the program is that it has seen a number of individuals join while in middle school, and grow within the program as not only artists, but as professionals.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to not only take art on as something that’s a great support and mode of expression, but then can also be a career pathway, as well,” Murch said.

Jamee Grigsby can personally attest to this, as she got her start with the program as a student herself. 

Fast forward and now she has been an instructor and teaching artist for over a decade.

Grigsby really enjoyed spending time with the students throughout the process leading up to the exhibition.

“They have really great imaginations, and when I told them about the theme, they were super excited about it,” she said during an interview. “They really put a lot of thought into the process and made sure they created work that was a representation of their selves … things that are related to them.”

Being able to teach students who are now sitting in the very chairs she once sat in years ago is like a full-circle moment for Grigsby.

“If I hadn’t joined the Mural Arts program when I was a kid, I don’t even know honestly where I would be because I feel like it has opened so many doors for me,” said Grisby. 

The program allowed her to use art as an outlet, and it’s the same concept she tries to instill in her students now.

At the student exhibition, the artwork was available for purchase where students received 100 percent of the proceeds.

Since it was founded, the project has served as a positive experience of countless individuals.

“The excitement that you see on young people’s faces is amazing,” said Grigsby. “It’s really wonderful to see them be so excited and to feel really seen and heard.”

That is just a snippet of the impact art can have on individuals.

To learn more about the Art Education Student Exhibition and how art is used to inspire people of all ages, visit Mural Arts Philadelphia.