Entering through the new Door 1, students are immediately given a warm welcome by the vibrant colors of the mural in the foyer of the school. An almost abstract piece, the mural features many shapes and doodles tied together with the unifying message “Together we rise.”

The mural, designed by art teachers Melissa Connell and Alethea Busch, is meant to convey a representation of the Niles North student body. Something uplifting for students to be greeted with, yet timeless for future generations of Vikings to enjoy. The dynamic colors of the mural stand out with the gray/green/purple color scheme of the brand-new foyer. The mural went through many different drafts that played around with the composition and coloring. The design was created on Adobe and was actually printed on vinyl to be stuck onto the wall. 

Principal James Edwards also contributed input to the overall design and theme of the mural.

“We went through a couple of different iterations, and we landed here, and it’s open to anybody’s interpretation,” Edwards said. “You could interpret this a thousand different ways. But I like the color scheme, it kind of clashes, it kind of matches this vibe in here.”

What stands out most about the mural is the verbiage “Together we rise,” a phrase picked out by Dr. Edwards. Art teacher and mural designer Melissa Connell reflects on this message.

“In the last few years, our students have kind of felt like there’s this push-pull between feeling like you’re part of the community here and then also not part of it,” Connell said. “Sometimes students will say, ‘We’re supposed to feel like we’re unified and that our differences are strengths. But sometimes that feels like that’s pulling us apart.’ I think [the message is] just supposed to emphasize that the more that we support and get to know each other, the stronger our community will be.”

The mural will continue to tie the Niles North community together for years to come.