ARTSPEAK RADIO presents, KCAI Illustration Scarritt Elementary Mural Project & KC Storytellers

Kansas City Art Institute illustration students, Kelly Sparrow, Madison Crabtree, Katya Heisel and Ethan Tucker discuss the Scarritt Mural Project. Scarritt Elementary School at 3512 Anderson Ave.KCMO, has been closed and shuttered for several years; neighbors often complain about the graffiti, vandalism and loitering that take place on the property grounds. The goal of the Mural Project is to use art to convert the Scarritt Elementary School (SES) building back into a positive visual landmark for the community; to reclaim it from blight and transform it into a unique example of urban art. This Fall, students from the Illustration department at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) are working collaboratively to design and paint a new batch of murals for the panels covering Scarritt Elementary School's doors and windows. The Mural Project is led by instructor Héctor Casanova as part of the “US” class; a course focusing on the social roles and cultural responsibilities of illustrators, and the collaborative nature of art practice. The Project was started in the Fall of 2014, with students covering the northeastern façade of the school building. In the Fall of 2015, we are making murals that will address the Eastern façade of the building.…