The Pride of Feltonville
“The Pride of Feltonville embodies the spirit of the neighborhood surrounding the Feltonville School of Arts & Sciences. Following colonization the area was first a farming area, later transforming into a working class community for immigrants. Small factories and mills produced clothing, refrigerators and other appliances. The area was once a thriving Jewish community so I included the Tree of Life with the five chakras.
“Now the area is home to immigrant families from Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. During the design process I worked with students from the school and learned that many homes in the area had peach trees, which corresponded to my own research. These trees were remnants of the old orchards that once grew here.
“The mural depicts the spirit of immigrants working to improve the lives of their children, and the themes of arts and sciences, the focus of the school. We can see close up images of insects and plants as suggested by the students. Students also added some of their own imagery including an elf, birds, butterflies and flowers. In the sky, I embodied the spirit of immigrants, with gloves on, releasing students as they dive into their books of liberation. A young woman holds a basket of peaches and looks towards the future. She represents the ideal of sharing the bounty of the area with future generations.”