The highly anticipated Oak Park and River Forest High School 150th Anniversary mural, “Our Time to Grow,” will be dedicated Monday.
The sesquicentennial mural has been under construction throughout the summer through a partnership between OPRF art teacher and mosaic artist Tracy Van Duinen, local artist Carolyn Elaine, and Oak Park Area Arts Council’s Off the Wall program, which hired OPRF students to help build design and construct the mural.
While the project is expected to have cost a little more than $90,000 to complete, it was supported by the Huskie Booster Club, which spared no expense to show off Huskie pride by donating $50,000 for the legacy item. The remaining expenses were covered by the Arts Council, according to Van Duinen.
The “Out Time to Grow” mural is the first large visible arts project to receive Booster support.
Part of the funding for the project covered student labor. The project employed 14 students and recent graduates who built the mural in the OPRF auto shop over the summer, giving them a opportunity to be part of the legacy.
Lauren Edwards, 18, a recent graduate of OPRF previously told Wednesday Journal that the mural will be iconic and with how long-lasting mosaics can be, it will be displayed in the school for many years to come.
The dedication of the mural, which will be on the west wall of the high school will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18. It is free and open to the public.
