eye

Hedges Elementary by Erica Hawkinson

Location: Back of the Yards - 4747 S Winchetser Ave, Chicago IL 60609
Year(s): 2014-2018
Participants: 120 [8th grade students]
Partner(s): After School Matters
Description:  From 2014 to 2017, Green Star Movement (GSM) completed several murals on the north and west sides of the Hedges Elementary building as well as the interior hallways which honor the Mexican heritage of the neighborhood's residents.

In 2017, for the entrance of Hedges Elementary, our team installed two murals dedicated to the country of Mexico. On the right is a depiction of Mexico's national coat of arms and on the left, a Maya Jaguar Mask which represents nobility and power.

In 2018, we created a mural with a mix of Chicagoan symbols, and a feathered serpent, complete with a Chicano theme, this piece adorns the hallways of James Hedge's School. It celebrates the Chicano culture that is at the core of the school. That same year, we created an outdoor mural that pays tribute to four influential Latina women. They are trailblazers who have each used their voices to fight for under-represented groups of people; Rigoberta Menchu, Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz, Dolores Huerta, and Sonia Sotomayor