Bus-sized mural made by Grand Valley charter school students unveiled

A group of students at a Grand Valley State University-authorized charter school took part in a reception on February 22 that featured the unveiling of a bus-sized mural they created over the past year.

Eleven students created the mural under the guidance of Grand Valley alumnus and well-known artist Hubert Massey. The yearlong project involved the students framing and stretching their own canvas, composing the original design and painting the entire piece.

Called “Michigan’s Outreach: Evolving the Global Spirit,” the mural measures 8 feet by 38 feet, and will make its permanent home in Grand Valley’s nearly completed L. William Seidman Center. The piece will also be entered in ArtPrize this fall. 

The student artists from the Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies were joined at the reception by Rashid Faisal, principal at HFA: SCS; Manal Kadry, lead art teacher at HFA: SCS; Hubert Massey, artist; and Ellen Sprouls, curator of education at Grand Valley.

HFA: SCS is Detroit’s premier college prep school focused on art and design, and serves nearly 800 students in grades 6-12. The school is located in the College for Creative Studies’ A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education. All students attend tuition-free.