Train up a child in the way they should go

Train up a child in the way they should go is a mural by artist Nick Cassway installed at Rock Ministries building in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The design features teachers and students from Rock Ministries’ long-running boxing program.

Cassway, a Philadelphia-based artist, used the movement and motion of boxing as his inspiration. The silhouettes of boxing students and instructors illustrate the connections, mentorship, and leadership that encompass this faith-based children’s boxing program. The mural also includes the bible verse Proverbs 22:6, which is considered a mantra for the program: “train up a child in the way they should go, and when they grow old, they will not depart from it.”

Cassway attended after-school training sessions at Rock Ministries’ boxing program. He took videos of participants, including youth and teachers, and translated them into series of drawings. Physical theater artist Aram Aghazarian offered feedback on the composition.

The mural features illustrations of twelve individuals practicing boxing interwoven with each other. The figures vary in size and are representative of diverse ages and ethnicities. The viewer can follow each set of figures from left to right and a short narrative progresses, much like a stop motion animation. The color palette is limited to black, white, orange, blue, yellow, and shades of brown.

Location Note: The mural can be viewed in full from the Market-Frankford Line elevated train, between the Huntington and Somerset Stations.