WEB EXCLUSIVE After a month of planning and organization and 12 hours of painting, student leaders of the 10th-12th grades and IB art students unveiled a large scale mural in the four division cafeteria.

“All of the organizers, myself included, have put a lot of time and effort into the planning and execution of this mural,” sophomore and student art curator Lauren Tulley said. “It was a wonderful way for students to learn about the creation and process of making public art.”

The mural is an abstract design, created using free-hand spray-painting techniques taught to the students throughout the month. It covers three walls with a focal point on the wall farthest right, that flows into the rest of the space.  

“Some of the acoustic panels in the cafeteria had been damaged over the years, and we decided to cover those seemingly useless panels with vibrant art,” art teacher and project coordinator Rachel McIntire said. “I had very little say in what went into the mural; most of my ideas were actually vetoed by the students. This project just goes to show the power and capability of these creative students, who took on the challenging task with passion and determination.”

The mural was created in collaboration with The Apexer, a prominent Bay Area public artist who is known for his murals. He documented pieces of the painting process with a series of videos on his Instagram. He has been commissioned by well-known bay area companies such as Zendesk, Space NK and Adobe.

“I liked the idea of producing a mural in association with an art class for a whole school to enjoy,” The Apexer said. “I usually paint solo, but the process was not so different when it came down to the practice of painting. It was nice to share the process with someone and see the students learn.”

Numerous informal presentations were held in Syufy throughout the month, along with art and design workshops for not only high schoolers but also eighth grade art students at Convent Elementary. The Apexer was contacted about three weeks ago about the project, and the painting took place over a 12-hour session last Sunday.

“We worked with students of all ages, and that is just another reiteration of the strength of the Sacred Heart community,” Tulley said. “We incorporate our local San Francisco culture into our traditional mindset of a unified, globally enriched community”

The mural can be seen on the back walls of the cafeteria seating area for elementary students.