BLANK CANVAS
ENEIDA M. HARTNER ELEMENTARY GETS A COLORFUL REVAMP WITH THE HELP OF WYNWOOD SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAM THE RAW PROJECT.
The world’s most acclaimed artists flock to the Wynwood Arts District year round to take part in exclusive projects, gallery exhibitions, and… go to school? Thanks to Re-imagining the Arts in Wynwood (RAW), an initiative to bring art education to schools with limited budgets, Eneida M. Hartner Elementary became part of the annual Miami Art Week extravaganza. With the help of more than 30 artists from the US and around the globe, the blank walls of a school filled with 570 young students have become colorful and eyecatching murals of inspiration.
But it’s not just worldrenowned artists lending their talents to the project. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry got in on the action when participating street artist Kai Aspire recruited him to paint a mural that would both delight and inspire students. “Kai wanted to tie in another part of the Miami culture, and the Miami Dolphins and Jarvis are a huge part of this city,” says RAW founder Robert De Los Rios. Their creation? A giantsized cartoon-style child reaching for the stars while balancing atop schoolbooks, sports balls, and a guitar. “[The piece] represents a child never giving up,” De Los Rios says. “It’s a beautiful message.”