BCD student dedicates art to homeless shelter

Boulder Country Day School (BCD) 8th grade artist, Xan, dedicated her mural (12”x 9”) at the Boulder Homeless Shelter on Saturday, May 7.

An extremely talented student, Xan chose to design a multi-panel mural for the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless for her 8th grade capstone project. This exceptional piece (pictured above) took 170 hours and three months to design, and was done all with paints she obtained from hazardous waste recycling. She mixed all the colors herself. The mural is strategically installed at the receiving line of the cafeteria as a permanent feature, and is already receiving substantial praise from the facility leadership and tenants.

Ardith Sehulster, shelter board member and former president, shared the enthusiasm for the project expressed by the shelter’s volunteer cooks, “They love the mural, are so impressed with Xan’s talent, and cannot imagine that wall pre-mural.”

Shelter Executive Director Greg Harms added, “Xan caught the vision for this space in the Shelter – just the right amount of color, cheer and meaning. We trusted her and she came through with a truly thoughtful piece. Residents, staff, volunteers and visitors to the shelter will delight in this for a very long time.”

When looking at the mural, from left to right the mural moves from an upside down house with shattered windows representing homelessness and disruption, across a bridge that represents a path to a better future leading to an intact house and a full sun.

As part of BCD’s middle school curriculum, 8th grade students complete a capstone project, which is a year long experience that encourages students to dive deeply into a subject of personal passion. This experience develops in-depth learning in the presence of an experienced mentor. Capstone projects are a culmination of students’ BCD experience bringing together the key elements of passion, innovation and service.

Art has always been a passion for Xan and the idea of using it to help others was exciting. “I wanted to contribute and give back to our community, and the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless was one of the places where art could make the most difference,” Xan shared. “I think that the most fulfilling part of this project was the impact that it made on the lives of the staff, volunteers and clients of the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, and being able to have a positive effect through creativity and art on these people.”