ROCKLAND — Local youth arts program Arts in Action recently completed three community murals located at South School, Good Tern Co-op, and the City of Rockland Transfer Station and Compost Facility.

“We are proud to announce the completion of these murals designed and created by youth artists,” said Christy Monroe, RSU 13 Adult & Community Education Director, in a news release. “A special thanks to our project partners, volunteers, and the ANONIMO Foundation for their support in bringing them to life in our community.” 

Initial planning and design for the South School entry atrium mural was kicked off in November 2022 with help from South School staff, Friends of South School, and Rockland area youth. Since then, 18 youth artists, ages 13-18, cumulatively volunteered over 250 hours to paint the mural.

The South School mural is "the largest interior mural created by our program since the 2013 Flanagan Community Center Basketball court wall,” according to Alexis Iammarino, mural director.

The Good Tern Co-op mural is located on the exterior of the building and can be observed from Route 1. Six talented youth artists from Oceanside Middle School designed the mural during a workshop in June of 2023. The finished wall and façade columns, which feature a colorful assortment of fruits and flowers, were painted in July 2023 by a team of over 60 community volunteers, ranging in age from 3 years old to 87 years old.

In spring 2023, the City of Rockland invited youth artists from Arts in Action to create a series of muralized signs for the City Transfer Station's new composting facility. The designs included illustrations and cartoons created by the South School's Afternoon School Program for 2nd - 5th graders. Additionally, local high school artists created illustrations and painted the panels with help from The Landing Place's Community Minded Jobs program as well as younger students in workshops at the Flanagan Community Center. Members of the City of Rockland Department of Public Services crew built custom frames for the panels that are currently installed at the Rockland Transfer Station. This community partnership was precipitated by a Maine Department of Environmental Protection waste diversion grant received by the City of Rockland's Department of Public Services.

Arts in Action is a program of RSU 13 Adult & Community Education funded by the ANONIMO Foundation. For more information about upcoming youth artist opportunities with Arts in Action, please contact Lead Artist and Mural Director Alexis Iammarino: rasaartsinaction@gmail.com.