The Willow School New Orleans

Willow High School visual arts students, through the new Art Club, partnered with Manning Family Children’s Hospital’s Parenting Center to create a mural installation. The project began after students expressed interest in outreach and community-based art. The requested theme was an animal second line, and students developed designs for the center to review. Because the wall surface was concrete and the center may need the artwork to be movable in the future, the mural was created on cut plywood panels rather than painted directly onto the wall. Students worked with the Engineering Club to cut and prepare the forms, and the final pieces were installed using French cleats. The project became a real-world learning experience for students. They had to navigate design selection, collaboration, timelines, installation needs, shared responsibility, and the reality of completing an outside commission-style project. It also helped students understand that community art requires follow-through, communication, and flexibility. This is a strong example of Willow students using the arts to connect with the larger New Orleans community. The project reflects student creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the broader value of arts education beyond the classroom.