To commemorate Martin Luther King Day 2020, students from Youth Crossroads and Morton West High School are teaming up to create “The 2020 Inclusion Project,” a mural celebrating Berwyn’s cultural vibrancy.
This project is made possible through the generous support of BMO Harris Bank. The mural, which will be installed on the new Youth Crossroads building, 6501 Stanley Avenue in Berwyn, is being developed in partnership with the Berwyn Development Corporation, the Berwyn Public Art Initiative, Morton West High School and AmeriCorps Member Ryan Arnold.
The lead artists on the project are local community artist Antonia Ruppert, and Rob Moriarty, fine art teacher, Morton West High School, who was recently named the 2019 Illinois Art Educators Association’s Secondary Art Teacher of the Year. Since December 3, 2019, students have participated in workshops to learn about Dr. King’s life and legacy in the social justice movement, as well as the history and traditions of social justice murals, and art as a tool for community development.
There will be 4-5 workshops in January and February to collaborate on developing an artistic rendering of the mural. Students will gather at Youth Crossroads on Martin Luther Day, January 20, 2020, to begin production of the mural, which will be formally installed on the exterior of Youth Crossroads in Spring 2020.