Amy Ye ‘29
Sep 26, 2025
Since the cave paintings of the prehistoric world, murals have been one of the most powerful forms of art. Painted directly onto walls, ceilings, or other common surfaces, they represent more than the beautification of space; they foster community pride and shared memories. The opportunity to create connects the community as the permanence of the painting represents people’s diversity and togetherness.
That spirit of togetherness was evident on the second day of ninth grade Inbound, when the Class of 2029 convened for a special field trip to nearby Cowan’s Gap State Park for teambuilding workshops. Students had the chance to get to know each other and bonded over the messiness of painting a mural with their bare hands. The design portrayed a tree with leaves sprouting. As students pressed their hands onto the mural, they were not only decorating a space but also marking the beginning of their shared journey at Mercersburg Academy.
Emily Parsons, Director of Experiential Education, came up with the idea to bring students together and get to know each other more. “I was impressed by how everybody did it, and how everybody pitched in. The sight of students helping each other to get paint on their hands, trying to find where the tissue was, and helping each other to wash off the paint was a precious picture of everyone helping each other for the first time,” said Parsons.
“It’s really nice because it is a great collaboration showing all of those hands come together to make a growing tree, and I believe that any piece of art has a history behind it, so I think it’s really great for record keeping,” said art teacher Sydney Caretti.
The mural is intended to grow with the class as they continue through their high school years. Each following year, new students joining the Class of 2029 will add their own handprints, ensuring that the work becomes a living record of the grade’s four years of unity.
Looking ahead, students and faculty hope to see more murals appear on other surfaces around campus, perhaps on a larger scale to involve the entire student body.