Hero Walls – Bringing Students and Communities Together
Everyone needs heroes. Heroes help define our aspirations and ideals – things like courage, honor, leadership and self-sacrifice. And ideally, heroes become symbols for the qualities we would like to possess and the ambitions we choose to set for ourselves. So, it’s important to choose and honor the right kind of heroes. And it’s equally important to recognize the “everyday” heroes that surround us. By doing so, we teach each generation to respect the values of the community and to understand that heroism is achievable by anybody.
An easy, meaningful – and often self-funding way to recognize local heroes – is by constructing what we call “hero walls” in local schools or other community settings. And we’re proud to have helped several Long Island communities do just that.
The first project is for Bay Shore High School in Bayshore, NY. It includes two “hero walls.” One wall is a “Sports Hall of Fame”, recognizing students and coaches who have contributed to Bay Shore’s long history of athletic achievement. The second is a “Veteran’s Wall of Honor” recognizing Bay Shore students who have chosen to serve their country in all branches of the military. Both walls include include touch screen monitors – with and without sound – that invite visitors to explore and learn more. Both walls were fully funded by donation pages set up by Bay Shore’s Alumni Association. And both are inspired by the need to bring people together in a challenging time, particularly for so many students.
Our second recent project is for Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School in Manorville, NY. This is also a Veterans Wall recognizing graduates who served their country. It was conceived by both teachers and students and fully funded by a community fund drive.
Images of the finished walls at both schools can be seen in the slide show above, as well an image of one of the projects under construction in Art Guild’s shop. If you are interested in your own hero wall project – or learning more about how we can help you bring one to life, please contact Mike Fabian at mfabian@artguildinc.com.