By: Andrew Wheat, MDS Art Instructor // MDS Mercy Musings Blog

The Plan
Art students at Mount de Sales have opportunities to participate in projects unique to the school and throughout the community, such as creating a piece for the Candlelight Carol Concert or the Think Pink Cherry Blossom Festival. This year, a couple of new opportunities in the community came up: a student show at The 567 Center downtown and a contest to create a painted crosswalk on Columbus St. that links the MDS campus and the student parking lot. The Creative Crosswalk project was started by Bike Walk Macon with the goal to create a beautiful corridor connecting Mercer University and downtown. Another purpose of the painted crosswalks is safety and getting drivers to take notice and slow down.

The Process
Each Upper School art student had the opportunity to create a design that would fit within the white areas of the crosswalk. They were limited to the school colors and had to include MDS in the design. School administration selected the design, which was the most visually appealing and would best represent the school. MDS leadership did not have an easy task; they had to select from about 45 well-thought-out designs.

The Prototype
The winning design was submitted by freshman Lily Livingston. Her design appears somewhat abstract, but when you look closely you see jungle leaves. She chose this theme because, according to her, “High school is often like a jungle.”

The Painting
The painting process began on a Sunday morning. Bike Walk Macon received a permit and barrels to block off the road so painters could work freely. Bike Walk Macon also hired a local artist, Heidi Clinite, to lead the painting process. Lily and her mother worked alongside Heidi and Rachel Hollar, Bike Walk Macon executive director, for about ten hours, and four days later, they spent another five hours adding the final details.

The Product
The finished product is spectacular. It is very exciting to see an idea fully fleshed out and finalized. It completely transforms the crosswalk where hundreds of students will cross for years to come. It is great to be a Cavalier where even a young artist can make a lasting impact on the community!

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Mount de Sales Academy is a private Catholic school located in Macon, GA, and serves students in Bibb, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach and other surrounding counties. MDS is sponsored and inspired by the Sisters of Mercy. Since 1876, MDS has served a diverse college-preparatory community of learners—students and teachers alike—who are poised to discover, challenged to innovate, and motivated to serve.